as in preferring
to show partiality toward
I'm leaning toward sausage on our pizza tonight—we got pepperoni the last three times
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaning (toward or towards)
Verb
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In the house reef, there’s snorkelling and paddleboarding; guests preferring deep-sea action can request private yacht excursions or big-game fishing sessions.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Apr. 2026 -
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has decided to shelve, for now, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request for a pardon in his graft trial, preferring to press the parties to reach an agreement that would terminate the case consensually, his office announced.—
Galit Altstein,
Bloomberg,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After six brutal years of struggling to stay afloat, movie theater owners and operators arrived in Las Vegas for CinemaCon finally liking their odds of survival.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
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Henley has struggled on approach since the American Express, which is the only thing holding me back from really liking him this week.—
Dennis Esser,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The divide in the US is mostly political, the poll showed, with Democrats still overwhelmingly favoring renewables, while Democrats are more open to nuclear, natural gas, and oil.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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Fortunately, the styles and silhouettes that were popular in the early 2000s (the era trendsetters are favoring) are particularly well-suited for travel thanks to their breathability and versatile nature.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Sudarma hopes that guests will plan a day and stay, enjoying multiple meals and lots of entertainment, from Asian sports cars to kids’ hip hop dance classes (free).—
Amy Drew Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
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The three-time Grammy winner was recently spotted enjoying a dinner date in Los Angeles with Geese frontman Cameron Winter on April 15.—
Ilana Kaplan,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Leaning (toward or towards).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaning%20%28toward%20or%20towards%29. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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