as in to like
to show partiality toward
I'm leaning toward sausage on our pizza tonight—we got pepperoni the last three times
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lean (toward or towards)
Verb
-
So there was plenty to like about the Royals’ third straight victory after an 0-2 start … even after the bullpen melted down an 11-run lead to four in the final innings.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
2 Apr. 2026 -
Hana liked it enough to take some home, which in the Test Kitchen is a ringing endorsement!—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In 1847, Henri-Clément Sanson, who preferred gambling to guillotining, pawned off the family apparatus.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, those who prefer to simply unwind by the pool can also do so in perfect peace.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
They are favored to win those games, because those are teams more concerned about lottery positioning than playoff seeding.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Democrats pushed for a three-year extension to the credits, while many Republicans favored either a one-year extension or none at all.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Lean (toward or towards).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lean%20%28toward%20or%20towards%29. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
