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

Many reported preferring viewing things in movie theaters or on big screens because of how immersive those experiences felt.

— Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 11 Oct. 2026
International outrage over the carnage in Gaza, meanwhile, has largely subsided, with many countries preferring a failing peace process to none at all.

— KHALED ELGINDY, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of preferring

Verb

Simply liking someone, feeling close to them or spending hours together isn’t enough to create an attachment relationship.

— Pascal Vrticka, Scientific American, 4 Oct. 2026
Their incoming new owner inspired huge enthusiasm among fans by ‘liking’ the club’s Instagram post celebrating the victory.

— Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of liking

Verb

With department stores in turmoil, Kuryshchuk advised emerging designers to reconsider wholesale, favoring partnerships with larger companies.

— Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 17 Oct. 2026
More than 130 million voters were deleted during the revision but the Election Commission has denied favoring any party and said wrongly deleted voters can re-enrol.

— Reuters, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of favoring

Verb

Oaksmith, the whisky Suntory blended for the Indian market and launched in 2019, has been gaining market share, while Jim Beam is enjoying double-digit growth in India.

— Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Our staffer’s been enjoying back pocket recipes lately—with the first one inspired by Richard Olney, the Iowan painter, food writer, and Parisian ex-pat.

— Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 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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“Leaning (toward or towards).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaning%20%28toward%20or%20towards%29. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of leaning (toward or towards)

verb

Example Sentences

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