1
as in liking
to show partiality toward
I generally prefer chocolate ice cream over vanilla
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in selecting
to decide to accept (someone or something) from a group of possibilities
most buyers of that vehicle have preferred the model with four-wheel drive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of preferring
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
So instead of preferring an arm or side the way most humans do, octopuses can use all of their arms for all functions, but do have a slight preference for those up front.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2025
Once, Russian elites considered turning East with great caution, preferring Europe for education, investment, vacations, and more.
—Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Arison, who doesn’t relish being in the public eye like some owners do, has not spoken on the record to Heat reporters since 2013 and declined interviews with the Miami Herald and South Florida Sun Sentinel, preferring to keep the honor low-key.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
Huang, meanwhile, has a pattern of skipping high-profile events, preferring direct one-on-one meetings.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
The Czech literary titan was famous for preferring to write longhand, even after the explosion of the typewriter.
—Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Trump has done less of this in his second term, preferring to twist arms and lobby lawmakers privately this time.
—W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025
And major studios are making fewer prestige films of the kind that once used Toronto as a launching pad, preferring to divert more resources to action-heavy blockbusters and family fare.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
As Brentford did last month, opponents allow Villa’s back three to have possession, with their front line preferring to block passing lanes into midfield rather than press the ball.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
So instead of preferring an arm or side the way most humans do, octopuses can use all of their arms for all functions, but do have a slight preference for those up front.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2025
Once, Russian elites considered turning East with great caution, preferring Europe for education, investment, vacations, and more.
—Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Arison, who doesn’t relish being in the public eye like some owners do, has not spoken on the record to Heat reporters since 2013 and declined interviews with the Miami Herald and South Florida Sun Sentinel, preferring to keep the honor low-key.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
Huang, meanwhile, has a pattern of skipping high-profile events, preferring direct one-on-one meetings.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
The Czech literary titan was famous for preferring to write longhand, even after the explosion of the typewriter.
—Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Trump has done less of this in his second term, preferring to twist arms and lobby lawmakers privately this time.
—W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025
And major studios are making fewer prestige films of the kind that once used Toronto as a launching pad, preferring to divert more resources to action-heavy blockbusters and family fare.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preferring
Verb
-
With Tracy getting the majority of the work out of the backfield, take advantage of a fantasy manager not liking his production, and add a team's RB1 who will be getting plenty of opportunities to score touchdowns when the Giants finally make it into the red zone.—
Noah Camras,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The Rare singer confirmed her relationship with Blanco in December 2023 by liking Instagram posts speculating that the two were dating.—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This means regularly assessing your thinking skills, consciously choosing when to engage versus delegate mental tasks, and maintaining practices that keep your mind sharp.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Neighbors lined up against the farmers’ solar project, putting the county commission in a position of choosing between private property rights and what neighbors think is best.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This trend includes smaller, high-end homes and with buyers favoring places that offer meaningful features over sheer size or clout.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Those possibly favoring a larger move include Governors Michelle Bowman and Christopher Waller, as well as Stephen Miran should the Senate confirm him before the Fed convenes.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Las Vegas Raiders completely revamped their backfield this offseason, selecting Ashton Jeanty with the sixth overall pick of the NFL Draft and also adding former Pro Bowl running back Raheem Mostert in free agency.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Two-time Oscar-winning director Alexander Payne (The Holdovers, Sideways) chaired the panel of global film figures tasked with the difficult duty of selecting this year’s winners.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Along with the offense, the Giants’ bullpen continues enjoying collective success even with a vastly different personnel, one that does not feature Randy Rodríguez, Camilo Doval, Tyler Rogers or Erik Miller.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
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In July, Aniston was spotted enjoying a yacht trip off the coast of Mallorca — where she was joined by friends including Jason Bateman and his wife Amanda Anka — and Curtis was with her for the vacation.—
Julia Moore,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Both are solid options in their own ways, and picking one would no doubt harm the other.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Sep. 2025
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After more than an hour on the road, the team arrived at a cluster of trailers behind a long dirt path on a grower’s property in South Haven, tight quarters where farmworkers rest after long-hour shifts picking fruit under the Michigan sun.—
David Rodriguez Muñoz,
Freep.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Many choose to interpret this story as God wanting firm borders.—
John Fugelsang
September 12,
Literary Hub,
12 Sep. 2025
-
But the same respondents were also very dug in on their beliefs and not wanting to compromise them.—
Domenico Montanaro,
NPR,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preferring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preferring. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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