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

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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.
For millennial and Gen Z workers aged 18 to 43, the process is so tedious that 32% would rather apply to a new job than select health insurance, according to a Justworks and Harris Poll survey. Maria Gracia Santillana Linares, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 There’s a large conversation being had about the current state of hip-hop journalism — and entertainment journalism in general — the sentiment being that artists would rather create content with influencers and streamers than be interviewed by journalists. Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Nov. 2024 Simply pointing out that Trump would rather play politics than address a problem doesn’t really clarify what Harris and a Democratic executive branch would actually do about the border. Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024 With a whopping 145 hours of available playtime (nine hours per charge plus 15 more in the charging case), the X3 Pros are designed for those folks who would rather plug in once a week and not have to think about the battery. Will Palmer, Outside Online, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for would rather 

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Cite this Entry

“Would rather.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/would%20rather. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

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