1
as in liking
to show partiality toward
I generally prefer chocolate ice cream over vanilla
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 13 Jan. 2026
Locals still fill up water bottles at the public spouts, preferring the crisp groundwater over the municipal tap.
—Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 12 Jan. 2026
Even as Bankman-Fried was captivating the crypto industry with spiels about his alleged genius, Yan and his team stayed away, preferring to trade on platforms like Coinbase.
—Ben Weiss, Fortune, 12 Jan. 2026
This has been part of City’s strength this season, as has their depth — something former manager Gareth Taylor neglected to build on, preferring a smaller, more intimate squad that often fell to injuries and exhaustion.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Rittenhouse admits to initially being bummed out to not be the murderer, only to quickly come around to preferring this outcome.
—Derek Lawrence, HollywoodReporter, 12 Jan. 2026
No longer a complete unknown wrapped in the Bob Dylan mystique, Chalamet has energized a balky awards circuit whose stars and filmmakers years ago had retreated from the rigors of self-promotion, with some still preferring to avoid it.
—Peter Bart, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
That album steered far clear of folkloric kitsch, preferring dissonant frequencies and minimalist arrangements.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 7 Jan. 2026
The Freedom Caucus had opposed Kevin McCarthy, preferring a more reliable conservative.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
Verb
Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper skipped the Golden Globes on January 11, preferring instead to have a date night.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 13 Jan. 2026
Locals still fill up water bottles at the public spouts, preferring the crisp groundwater over the municipal tap.
—Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 12 Jan. 2026
Even as Bankman-Fried was captivating the crypto industry with spiels about his alleged genius, Yan and his team stayed away, preferring to trade on platforms like Coinbase.
—Ben Weiss, Fortune, 12 Jan. 2026
This has been part of City’s strength this season, as has their depth — something former manager Gareth Taylor neglected to build on, preferring a smaller, more intimate squad that often fell to injuries and exhaustion.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Rittenhouse admits to initially being bummed out to not be the murderer, only to quickly come around to preferring this outcome.
—Derek Lawrence, HollywoodReporter, 12 Jan. 2026
No longer a complete unknown wrapped in the Bob Dylan mystique, Chalamet has energized a balky awards circuit whose stars and filmmakers years ago had retreated from the rigors of self-promotion, with some still preferring to avoid it.
—Peter Bart, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
That album steered far clear of folkloric kitsch, preferring dissonant frequencies and minimalist arrangements.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 7 Jan. 2026
The Freedom Caucus had opposed Kevin McCarthy, preferring a more reliable conservative.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preferring
Verb
-
Tucker, who cost the Cubs another promising young hitter, Cam Smith, plus infielder Isaac Paredes and right-hander Hayden Wesneski, almost certainly will be too expensive for the Cubs’ liking.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
8 Jan. 2026
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Her instincts were right, with Reese Witherspoon and more than 32,000 others liking her Instagram post, which shared a link to her essay.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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According to the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s 2026 Kitchen Trends Report, homeowners are increasingly choosing appliances that create a better environment for cooking and gathering.—
Kristina McGuirk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
-
This path begins with choosing leaders who will put principle over politics and ideology, with a promise to focus on the middle class as the center of every policy.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The team’s new polymer layer resists mixing with electrolyte solvents, instead favoring decomposition of salt anions.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Sleek rooms and suites are thoughtfully designed for efficiency and comfort, favoring clean lines and crisp linens.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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While Hilton has been involved in various ways with the festival, for the past several years the person selecting the musicals being read has been Michael Fling, who began as an artistic associate at Goodspeed in 2019 and became its associate artistic director in 2024.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
12 Jan. 2026
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When selecting the perfect color for her look, Domingo insisted that green was the one.—
Mecca Pryor,
Essence,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This successful squad is led by head coach Omar McMillan, who is really enjoying the ride this season.—
Marielle Mohs,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Visit in January for the best chance of enjoying these beauties in optimal wintry weather.—
Cailey Rizzo,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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From the costume-picking process to the crazy disguises stars must wear off camera, keep scrolling for the wildest rules contestants on The Masked Singer must follow.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
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Other photos show them on the sand with their arms around each other and sharing a kiss, with Tatum picking her up and holding her over his head at one point.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The family asks that anyone wanting to honour Rob donate to Pankind, Pancreatic Cancer Australia or Support Act.—
Daniela Avila,
PEOPLE,
21 Jan. 2026
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Dan crouched beside her, not wanting to say any‑ thing, covering his eye with his hand.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preferring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preferring. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
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