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
Ranee personally prefers styling her flare jeans with a kitten heel like this best-selling pair.
—
Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 1 Nov. 2025
Glasner prefers his players to know their role perfectly, to complement each other and to commit to the game plan largely without deviation.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
Gala, meanwhile, is a funny, charming writer who prefers books that don’t resist interiority.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025
Inspired by filmmakers like Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Terrence Malick (who Joseph worked for early in his career), Joseph prefers to use sound and music to evoke lyricism and complexity rather than rely on a traditional narrative.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2025
According to Circana data used by the brand, Houston prefers sour candy the most in the United States, beating out other cities including Miami, Dallas, Boston, and San Francisco, so launching their newest sweet treat seemed like an obvious choice.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 29 Oct. 2025
The company prefers to open on main streets rather than malls.
—Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025
Whereas the 33-year-old veteran prefers a highly regimented, consistent workout with a heavy diet of catch-and-shoot 3s to get in rhythm, Murray finds what works best for him is to intentionally avoid a natural cadence.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 28 Oct. 2025
Hakone grass prefers moist, shady conditions.
—Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2025
Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 1 Nov. 2025
Glasner prefers his players to know their role perfectly, to complement each other and to commit to the game plan largely without deviation.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
Gala, meanwhile, is a funny, charming writer who prefers books that don’t resist interiority.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025
Inspired by filmmakers like Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Terrence Malick (who Joseph worked for early in his career), Joseph prefers to use sound and music to evoke lyricism and complexity rather than rely on a traditional narrative.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2025
According to Circana data used by the brand, Houston prefers sour candy the most in the United States, beating out other cities including Miami, Dallas, Boston, and San Francisco, so launching their newest sweet treat seemed like an obvious choice.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 29 Oct. 2025
The company prefers to open on main streets rather than malls.
—Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025
Whereas the 33-year-old veteran prefers a highly regimented, consistent workout with a heavy diet of catch-and-shoot 3s to get in rhythm, Murray finds what works best for him is to intentionally avoid a natural cadence.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 28 Oct. 2025
Hakone grass prefers moist, shady conditions.
—Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prefers
Verb
-
Everyone seems to care about Cindy a lot and really likes her.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Helping to prevent extreme heat damage, this is a great hair tool for someone who likes to experiment with different looks, or something who needs to streamline their haircare routine with more efficiency and consistency.—
Tim Chan,
Footwear News,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Stocked with 24 whole-leaf teas that beckon to be opened and enjoyed each day of December before Christmas, the set itself doubles as an objet d’art that will beautify the kitchen, bedroom, or wherever else its recipient chooses to park it for the month.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
3 Nov. 2025
-
That rigidity probably explains why Gospodinov chooses, against all evidence, to call the book a novel.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Admittedly, this may delight a curious gardener who enjoys seeing what novelties a volunteer plant can produce.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
31 Oct. 2025
-
But as the region enjoys a recent surge in popularity, it’s welcomed a spate of new projects that continue to add to its vast tourism landscape.—
Chadner Navarro,
Vogue,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Other playful jeering is fair game, including when a winner selects the next ticket and ends up drawing his own numbers twice more in a row.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
28 Oct. 2025
-
This nationally competitive program, funded by NASA, selects students who will increase their knowledge of science, technology, engineering and math through Earth and space education.—
Magda Liszewska,
Oc Register,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In California, voters approved a congressional redistricting measure that favors Democrats heading into 2026.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
In a category that traditionally favors serious dramas, this rom-com unfolding against the backdrop of 30 years of Lebanese tragedies plays like a breath of fresh air and piques anticipation for Aris’ next feature.—
Alissa Simon,
Variety,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Nobody who has even a slight awareness of how the organization does business expected the Ravens to trade multiple Day 1/2 draft picks for a player.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Interestingly, Downs will now wear the same jersey number as his brother, Ohio State standout safety Caleb Downs, who is likely to be one of the top picks in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.—
Reice Shipley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Disney wants higher carriage fees to reflect the value of its networks, such as ESPN.—
Liam Reilly,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Looking ahead, Allen wants to work on creating more unique designs in more than a one-off capacity through collaborative capsule collections with various artisans or designers.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prefers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prefers. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share