as in prefers
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 leans (toward or towards)
Verb
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Strip Law is a show that prefers to keep everything very close to the surface, including its case-of-the-week mocking of how surface-level Las Vegas is — even if roughly half those cases don’t have much to do with Vegas at all.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Feb. 2026 -
Michael Cunningham prefers free agent Zack Littell, who’s durable and can do the dirty work to get the Braves into playoff contention.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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They're arranged in haphazard rows, with Andrew Jackson occupying a prime front spot simply because the owner likes his hair.—
Danielle Paquette The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Beaullieu likes to serve it alongside potato salad and garlic bread.—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Three of the seven are Rollies, suggesting that the actor favors the Crown’s creations.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
17 Feb. 2026
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On the campaign trail, Mamdani emphasized a need to reform the city’s property tax system, which economists say favors single-family homes, luxury condos and predominantly white neighborhoods overall, and places more weight on multi-family buildings and homeowners in mostly Black neighborhoods.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Not everyone enjoys the company of the jeans guy.—
Daniel Engber,
The Atlantic,
20 Feb. 2026
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She’s modeled for publications like Grazia Bulgaria and enjoys dance, too.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
20 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Leans (toward or towards).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leans%20%28toward%20or%20towards%29. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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