would rather

phrase

—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

Goh is determined and would rather leave the field than use AI in his creative work. — Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 5 Oct. 2026

Most Los Angeles City Council members would rather not be required to meet three days a week. — Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

But even that compression feels inadequate to the demands of the mind that would rather eliminate all the fires of today. — Bill Koch, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026

In the public imagination, Housewives with a capital H are fame-hungry attention hogs who would rather throw the $400 bottle of Château Brane-Cantenac Margaux that’s sitting in front of us than sip it, as Cosby is hesitantly doing now. — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for would rather

• gather
• lather