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
Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Their anger boils down to preferring that shareholders follow the lead of boards of directors and other corporate managers rather than the analysis of independent third parties.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025
The nonprofit organization has never had a permanent home, preferring to produce site-specific exhibits in places near and far.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 20 Oct. 2025
According to Boparai, his pizzeria has already amassed many regulars, with some saying they’ve been fully converted to fusion pizzas, preferring them over a traditional pepperoni or supreme pie.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 17 Oct. 2025
For instance, certain combinations of genes can lead individual fruit flies to have widely different temperature preferences, with some liking colder temperatures and others preferring it warm.
—Shraddha Lall, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2025
Many American policymakers have grown skeptical of multilateral engagement, preferring to focus inward.
—Sergio Alonso Fernández De Córdova Y De Veyga, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2025
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman only occasionally hits on the field, preferring to work in the cage.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
Indeed, Historian Robert O’Byrne explains that the British public did not always care about fashion, preferring traditional design staples in fabrics like tweed, and regarding designer clothing as frivolous.
—Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Tight ends fiercely preserve their own history and the nuances of their position, preferring peer-to-peer coaching to more traditional coach/player dynamics.
—Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Their anger boils down to preferring that shareholders follow the lead of boards of directors and other corporate managers rather than the analysis of independent third parties.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025
The nonprofit organization has never had a permanent home, preferring to produce site-specific exhibits in places near and far.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 20 Oct. 2025
According to Boparai, his pizzeria has already amassed many regulars, with some saying they’ve been fully converted to fusion pizzas, preferring them over a traditional pepperoni or supreme pie.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 17 Oct. 2025
For instance, certain combinations of genes can lead individual fruit flies to have widely different temperature preferences, with some liking colder temperatures and others preferring it warm.
—Shraddha Lall, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2025
Many American policymakers have grown skeptical of multilateral engagement, preferring to focus inward.
—Sergio Alonso Fernández De Córdova Y De Veyga, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2025
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman only occasionally hits on the field, preferring to work in the cage.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
Indeed, Historian Robert O’Byrne explains that the British public did not always care about fashion, preferring traditional design staples in fabrics like tweed, and regarding designer clothing as frivolous.
—Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preferring
Verb
-
Before long, strangers are watching, liking, and commenting on a moment that was meant to be private.—
Eli Thompson,
Rolling Stone,
25 Oct. 2025
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The Saints’ other wideout of interest, Chris Olave, would likely cost too high a draft pick for the Patriots’ liking.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Members of the committee from both political parties criticized Underly for choosing to accept an alumni award at Indiana University instead of appearing before the committee Thursday to answer questions about student safety for the public that have arisen because of the Capital Times reporting.—
Molly Beck,
jsonline.com,
24 Oct. 2025
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While Alana was selective about her wedding look, choosing a Vivienne Westwood gown, jewelry by Dorsey and a custom gold band by Sofia Kaman.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This gives investors a potential upside target of $104 and a great risk/reward set-up favoring being long the stock into Tuesday’s numbers.—
Jay Woods,
CNBC,
27 Oct. 2025
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Pan and Childs concluded that Kelly abused his discretion and failed to weigh other factors favoring Perlmutter's request for a preliminary injunction.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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However, selecting an optimal material for the transducer has proven difficult, as different candidates vary widely in electrical performance, surface characteristics, and long-term stability.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Oct. 2025
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The team went on to make the third pick of the 2023 NBA draft, selecting Scoot Henderson, a guard.—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The future of vehicles is a world where car buyers can purchase a vehicle once and reap the benefits of its intuitive design throughout its lifecycle, enjoying new features and upgrades without having to pay an additional cost.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
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Along with other royals, like King Constantine of Greece and their families, Juan Carlos and Diana were frequently photographed enjoying the sun on his royal yacht, Fortuna, and basking in the Spanish summer.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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On the cover of Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes, Jacobus featured one of the title characters picking its nose.—
Jordan Runtagh,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
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Police said surveillance footage showed the student walking home as Love followed in her car before picking her up and driving her home.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Now, Kittle said, kids are growing up wanting to specifically play tight end and specializing much earlier.—
Jourdan Rodrigue,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Morgan breaks up with him and admits that Joanne's relationship made her rush into things, despite not wanting to go at that pace.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preferring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preferring. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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