as in tendencies
a habitual attraction to some activity or thing
a penchant for sitting by the window and staring moodily off into space
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Recent Examples of penchants
From his travels, has Khoury noticed major differences in the pastry penchants of various countries and cultures?
—
Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 4 Dec. 2025
Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 4 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penchants
Noun
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Five patterns surfaced again and again—not as hard rules, but as common tendencies among people for whom reading is not a hobby so much as a way of moving through the world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Genetics linked to a breed help shape common behavioral tendencies, though individual dogs may vary.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This is the standard for ramp inclinations that are usable for most people, especially wheelchair users.—
K. Desbouis,
Artforum,
6 Feb. 2026
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Trump’s inclinations to make every race about him could foul this for the GOP.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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This model reflects Japan’s long-standing corporate culture, which prioritizes new hires for their general potential—their aptitudes and aspirations, as opposed to their current skill sets or university majors—and then trains them on the job.—
GRACIA LIU-FARRER,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Nov. 2025
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More money is apt to make homeschooling worse and far less tailored to the individual student and their interests and aptitudes by encouraging parents to substitute pricey group programs for the requisite effort of individualized instruction.—
Marie Sapirie,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The caveat is jurors and audiences at home are not allowed to vote for their own country; geopolitical affinities or rivalries often supersede talent.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
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Players have to create teams that exploit a boss’ weakness in order to defeat them, and that means building up characters that have the right elemental affinities.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penchants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penchants. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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