LEANING (TOWARD OR TOWARDS) Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

leaning (toward or towards)

verb

Definition of leaning (toward or towards)

present participle of lean (toward or towards)

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaning (toward or towards)

Verb

These dragonflies live near bodies of water, preferring those with calm currents, like ponds, wetlands, or slow-moving streams.

— Rachel Sargent Mirus, Hartford Courant, 3 Aug. 2026
But Thatcher left the faith at around 12 — about the same time her father, a lawyer, and mother, a piano teacher, divorced — preferring to spend her Sundays on stage doing matinees.

— Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of preferring

Verb

His heartwarming appearance at the Chazaq event comes as antisemitic hate crimes surge across New York City and NBA rivals Kyrie Irving and Victor Wembanyama face backlash for liking Mayor Zohran Mamdani's anti-Israel posts.

— Staff, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026
If you’re not used to doing your own laundry, start liking the idea now.

— Natalia Gonzalez Blanco Serrano, The Spruce, 27 July 2026

Definition of liking

Verb

Coach Jeff Hafley has earned points for favoring the physicality of 11-on-11 drills over the finesse of 7 on 7s.

— Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026
Supporters of El-Sayed, given his crusading platform, naturally tended to be more vocal than those favoring Stevens.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of favoring

Verb

For the grand finale of her tropical celebration, the Academy Award-winning actress went braless in a head-turning satin slip dress while enjoying the sunset on the sand.

— Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 7 Aug. 2026
The focus is not only on smaller ships, but also on the ease of unpacking once and visiting multiple destinations, while enjoying the restaurants, spa, service, and design found at a luxury resort.

— Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of enjoying

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

leanings

leaning (toward or towards)

leanness

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Style

“Leaning (toward or towards).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaning%20%28toward%20or%20towards%29. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of leaning (toward or towards)

verb

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