would sooner
idiom
—used to indicate what someone wants or prefers to do, have, etc.
He would sooner lose everything than admit that he was wrong.
Examples of would sooner in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump, who has praised the Russian dictator and refused to vocally support Ukraine, would sooner hop on a three-way phone call with Musk and Putin.
—
Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
Hal would sooner eat a bag of glass for his midafternoon snack and wash it down with a refreshing serving of sulfuric acid, but turning down Nicol the Folk Hero seems impossible at the moment.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024
John Elway would sooner crowd surf with the yokels in Oakland’s Black Hole than tank a season.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 1 Sep. 2024
Or are lofty ideals simply not enough to overcome biological coding so wary of strangers that our bodies would sooner die than accept foreign tissue?
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 June 2024
Joe Biden would sooner sprout tentacles than commit to a culmination in Ukraine that includes reclaiming Crimea.
—Holman W. Jenkins, Jr., WSJ, 15 Dec. 2023
Others would sooner sleep with a stranger than hold their hand in public, and both were welcome to share.
—Keyaira Boone, Essence, 7 Nov. 2023
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.
Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
Hal would sooner eat a bag of glass for his midafternoon snack and wash it down with a refreshing serving of sulfuric acid, but turning down Nicol the Folk Hero seems impossible at the moment.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024
John Elway would sooner crowd surf with the yokels in Oakland’s Black Hole than tank a season.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 1 Sep. 2024
Or are lofty ideals simply not enough to overcome biological coding so wary of strangers that our bodies would sooner die than accept foreign tissue?
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 June 2024
Joe Biden would sooner sprout tentacles than commit to a culmination in Ukraine that includes reclaiming Crimea.
—Holman W. Jenkins, Jr., WSJ, 15 Dec. 2023
Others would sooner sleep with a stranger than hold their hand in public, and both were welcome to share.
—Keyaira Boone, Essence, 7 Nov. 2023
Dictionary Entries Near would sooner
Cite this Entry
“Would sooner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/would%20sooner. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share