would rather
idiom
—used to indicate what one wants or prefers to do, have, etc.
She would rather drive than take the train.
I would rather you didn't tell them.
"If you'd rather, we can go outside." "No, thanks—I'd rather not."
Which beach would you rather go to?
Examples of would rather in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
If your teen would rather utilize a rideshare than get their own license, then the teen should be responsible for paying for it, Damour added.
—
Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2025
Olivia Munn would rather Jeff Bezos not send his fiancée Lauren Sanchez and her celebrity friends to outer space.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2025
The boss of an electric company in Kotzebue, Atkinson would rather be there, on the freezing edge of the Chukchi Sea.
—Michael Copley, NPR, 1 Apr. 2025
The center of the flower comes out for faster water flow, or remove it altogether if your cat would rather drink from a lower, springlike burble.
—Simon Hill, Wired News, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for would rather
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Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2025
Olivia Munn would rather Jeff Bezos not send his fiancée Lauren Sanchez and her celebrity friends to outer space.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2025
The boss of an electric company in Kotzebue, Atkinson would rather be there, on the freezing edge of the Chukchi Sea.
—Michael Copley, NPR, 1 Apr. 2025
The center of the flower comes out for faster water flow, or remove it altogether if your cat would rather drink from a lower, springlike burble.
—Simon Hill, Wired News, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for would rather
Cite this Entry
“Would rather.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/would%20rather. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
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