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 Crockett would rather be shirtless and shoeless on his boat. —

Fawnia Soo Hoo, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Aug. 2024 Some people would rather binge a 10-hour TV show than pick a two-hour movie — but with new shows, that may not be a popular option for long. —

Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 19 Aug. 2024 Some want the physical space to remember – but others would rather forget. —

Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY, 14 Aug. 2024 In fact, probably a lot of oyster lovers out there would rather just get a dozen at a restaurant than try their hand at shucking. —

Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 5 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for would rather

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'would rather.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.