variants
or towards
1
: in the direction of
driving toward town
2
a
: along a course leading to
a long stride toward disarmament
b
: in relation to
an attitude toward life
3
a
: at a point in the direction of : near
a cottage somewhere up toward the lake
b
: in such a position as to be in the direction of
your back was toward me
4
: not long before
toward the end of the afternoon
5
a
: in the way of help or assistance in
did all he could toward raising campaign funds
b
: for the partial payment of
proceeds go toward the establishment of a scholarship
1
2
a
obsolete
: quick to learn : apt
b
: propitious, favoring
a toward breeze
Synonyms
Examples of toward in a Sentence
Preposition
The bus is heading toward town.
She took a step toward the door.
They live out towards the edge of town.
We're thinking of taking a vacation towards the end of the month.
Efforts toward peace have been largely unsuccessful.
Recent Examples on the Web
Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 24 Apr. 2024
The industrial Midwest has moved more toward Republicans because of the shift toward the GOP among white voters without college degrees.
—Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 23 Apr. 2024
The teen who was shot, according to Mixon’s agent, appeared to be carrying a rifle and was running directly toward Mixon’s property.
—Kevin Grasha, The Enquirer, 23 Apr. 2024
On the play, McDavid reached to control a loose puck at the blue line, deking toward the center of the ice, then spinning away from Anderson before passing to Hyman in the slot for a tap-in.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2024
But Pennsylvania voters on Tuesday will cast their ballots in a slew of contentious and potentially decisive congressional and state races that are still sure to make waves as the campaign chugs toward November.
—Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 23 Apr. 2024
For insurers, Change provides tools that steer patients toward low-cost providers and quickly adjudicate claims.
—Erika Fry, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2024
During her lifetime, Maathai worked tirelessly toward her mission.
—Rayna Reid Rayford, Essence, 22 Apr. 2024
Fed Chair Jerome Powell has said that policymakers want to see more evidence that inflation is headed toward their 2% goal.
—Krystal Hur, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
Peter Libbey, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2020
Preposition
McAdams masters her portrayal of a determined caregiver continually sitting in the uncertainty of worry, despite constantly leaning toward positivity.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 24 Apr. 2024
The industrial Midwest has moved more toward Republicans because of the shift toward the GOP among white voters without college degrees.
—Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 23 Apr. 2024
The teen who was shot, according to Mixon’s agent, appeared to be carrying a rifle and was running directly toward Mixon’s property.
—Kevin Grasha, The Enquirer, 23 Apr. 2024
On the play, McDavid reached to control a loose puck at the blue line, deking toward the center of the ice, then spinning away from Anderson before passing to Hyman in the slot for a tap-in.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2024
But Pennsylvania voters on Tuesday will cast their ballots in a slew of contentious and potentially decisive congressional and state races that are still sure to make waves as the campaign chugs toward November.
—Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 23 Apr. 2024
For insurers, Change provides tools that steer patients toward low-cost providers and quickly adjudicate claims.
—Erika Fry, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2024
During her lifetime, Maathai worked tirelessly toward her mission.
—Rayna Reid Rayford, Essence, 22 Apr. 2024
Fed Chair Jerome Powell has said that policymakers want to see more evidence that inflation is headed toward their 2% goal.
—Krystal Hur, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
Adjective
As the pressure has mounted, Paul and Ally have moved toward and away from each other.
—Peter Libbey, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'toward.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near toward
Cite this Entry
“Toward.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toward. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
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