as in preferring
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 leaning (toward or towards)
Verb
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Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi have kept a low profile since adopting their daughter in early summer 2025, preferring to keep her out of the spotlight.—
Glamour,
Glamour,
10 Oct. 2025 -
Inside the Wrigley Field office building, club officials never want to rule anything out, always preferring to wait until the last minute before making a big decision.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Mamdani took a particular liking to canvassing.—
Eric Lach,
New Yorker,
9 Oct. 2025
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But, while people may be looking, liking and following fashion more than ever, this isn’t necessarily translating to sales.—
Fiona Sinclair Scott,
CNN Money,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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To be sure, there are some subtle signs the housing market could be shifting toward favoring buyers.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
7 Oct. 2025
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King recalls a former client who, early in their career, signed a contract heavily favoring the record label, leaving the band with only a small fraction of the earnings.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After almost two decades of playing against Stephen Curry, Al Horford is enjoying playing with the man who is widely regarded as the greatest shooter of all time.—
Nick Friedell,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
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This salty-sweet snack comes in a sharing size candy bag, perfect for enjoying on the go.—
Adam Mills,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Leaning (toward or towards).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaning%20%28toward%20or%20towards%29. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
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