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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Like Penn, though, Roversi generally prefers to work in a more familiar and settled space.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
8 Nov. 2025 -
Murphy prefers to live in the present.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Jets under Engstrand focus on a physical, aggressive style that likes quarterbacks to use a blend of RPOs, zone reads and play-action passes.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
8 Jan. 2026
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The fun and flattering style works for all ages, and Manzone likes twisting hair back into a claw clip to keep things super youthful.—
Catharine Malzahn,
InStyle,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Collectively, there is less tolerance for stubbornness disguised as conviction, as this transit favors multidimensional thinking and open dialogue.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
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This mindset naturally favors destinations with a strong culinary identity.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Gilpin’s elder daughter enjoys watching her mom act, especially during playtime.—
Audrey Schmidt,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
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When asked why Stephen King enjoys such singular longevity in pop culture, both siblings pointed to some of the real-life horrors in the world around us as evidence that King has always been ahead of his time.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
6 Nov. 2025
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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 10 Jan. 2026.
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