1
as in likes
to show partiality toward
I generally prefer chocolate ice cream over vanilla
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in chooses
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of prefers
Someone who prefers Blackberry style keyboard should be able to type very fast on it.
—
Ben Sin, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Ives-Wilson prefers to keep only enough cheese on hand for the next 10 days or so.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 May 2026
Joy prefers a softer wax over the firmer pencils that come in most kits, but either works.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 19 May 2026
Like Heuer, the designer prefers greiges and warm neutrals.
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 19 May 2026
Renter Mandy Feng, who prefers to use a pseudonym for fear of being seen criticizing the authorities, said the stimulus the government is offering has failed to offset people’s anxiety over an uncertain economic outlook.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 18 May 2026
The exemptions finalized Monday means 70 players in the 156-man field will go through qualifying, an unusually low number for a major that prefers that roughly half the field has to qualify.
—ABC News, 18 May 2026
For cockroaches, Carpenter prefers a very light dusting of borax over bait stations, but only in hidden areas like under appliances that pets, kids, and food cannot access.
—Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 17 May 2026
Harris, who turns 17 at the end of May, prefers abstract shapes to bowls and vases.
—Paul Hodgins, Oc Register, 14 May 2026
Ben Sin, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Ives-Wilson prefers to keep only enough cheese on hand for the next 10 days or so.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 May 2026
Joy prefers a softer wax over the firmer pencils that come in most kits, but either works.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 19 May 2026
Like Heuer, the designer prefers greiges and warm neutrals.
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 19 May 2026
Renter Mandy Feng, who prefers to use a pseudonym for fear of being seen criticizing the authorities, said the stimulus the government is offering has failed to offset people’s anxiety over an uncertain economic outlook.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 18 May 2026
The exemptions finalized Monday means 70 players in the 156-man field will go through qualifying, an unusually low number for a major that prefers that roughly half the field has to qualify.
—ABC News, 18 May 2026
For cockroaches, Carpenter prefers a very light dusting of borax over bait stations, but only in hidden areas like under appliances that pets, kids, and food cannot access.
—Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 17 May 2026
Harris, who turns 17 at the end of May, prefers abstract shapes to bowls and vases.
—Paul Hodgins, Oc Register, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prefers
Verb
-
Millville Toaster Tarts For anyone who likes to start their day with a little bit of brown sugar pastry, consider picking up a box of Millville Toaster Tarts instead of name brand Pop-Tarts.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
18 May 2026
-
The policy wonk in me likes to think that the consensus was a result of persuasive ecological analysis by experts.—
Mark VanderSchaaf,
Twin Cities,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Watch which benchmarks Google chooses to show on stage.—
Dan Fitzpatrick,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
The league then chooses the team’s general managers.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Queen Camilla enjoys a pint of Guinness during a visit to The Parson's Nose pub in Hillsborough, Northern Ireland, on May 20.—
People Staff,
PEOPLE,
22 May 2026
-
Taiwan enjoys broad support among members of both US parties.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
The contest, launched to promote young designers from leading design schools worldwide, selects a theme each year that challenges students to infuse innovation into the brand’s signature yarns.—
Andrea Onate,
Footwear News,
14 May 2026
-
On one hand, when a team selects in the lottery, the logical next step is a draft party, part of the hype of the next newcomer to be marketed.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The judge also found that the public interest strongly favors transparency, particularly, the court noted, when the chief election official is himself a candidate in the election being administered.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
-
Dietary guidance generally favors unsaturated fats over saturated ones for heart health, which puts plant oils ahead of animal fats in most clinical recommendations.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Subscribe here to our newsletter In Review by David Ehrlich, in which our Chief Film Critic and Head Reviews Editor rounds up the best new reviews and streaming picks along with some exclusive musings — all only available to subscribers.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
17 May 2026
-
This is why the Cleveland Cavaliers surrendered three players and three unprotected draft picks to acquire Donovan Mitchell, for moments such as Sunday’s Game 7 in Detroit.—
Jason Lloyd,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
The bigger picture The launch is a meaningful bet on what Yahoo Finance’s 30-year audience actually wants.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
-
Still, the launcher configuration suggests the company wants Comet to engage both surface and aerial threats during independent operations.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prefers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prefers. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
