leaned (toward or towards)

verb

past tense of lean (toward or towards)
as in preferred
to show partiality toward I'm leaning toward sausage on our pizza tonight—we got pepperoni the last three times

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaned (toward or towards)
  1. preferred
  2. liked
  3. enjoyed
  4. favored
Verb
  • Farther west, an initial route preferred by SDG&E would see the transmission line cross into portions of Riverside County and Temecula.
    — Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Moreover, purchasers preferred higher-cost originator biologics in classes with biosimilars.
    — Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of preferred
Verb
  • She was well liked, long tenured, and trusted by many of the branch’s largest customers.
    — Brian Eason, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Harbaugh liked how his team responded on Thursday to the grind.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of liked
Verb
  • Similarly, loading up the XI for the opener away to Fulham with players who have enjoyed the benefits of a full pre-season makes sense, too.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The coalition will try to negotiate a new contract that will preserve or revise the pension and retirement healthcare benefits workers have enjoyed for decades.
    — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of enjoyed
Verb
  • Voting ends Tuesday in Wisconsin and recent polls show Hong favored to win.
    — Tamara Keith, NPR, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Advertisement But the test favored Claude by selecting cases where a researcher had already stumbled.
    — Harry Booth, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of favored
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

leaned (on or against)
leaned (toward or towards)
leaning
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Leaned (toward or towards).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaned%20%28toward%20or%20towards%29. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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