toward
təˈwɔːrd
You never arrive, and the direction alone says how you feel
The picture Turning your body to face one way and taking a step that way. You have not reached it; only the direction your nose points has been settled. TO goes all the way to the point it touches; TOWARD only fixes which way you face.
Where the picture shows up in toward
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stepping that way
She walked toward the exit without a word.
ʃiː wɔːkt təˈwɔːrd ði ˈeɡzɪt wɪˈðaʊt ə wɜːrd
She walked off to the door without saying anything.
A back turned, the whole body squared at the door.
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how you treat someone
He is very kind toward new staff.
hiː ɪz ˈveri kaɪnd təˈwɔːrd nuː stæf
He is very kind to the new staff.
Feeling running out from one person to another like a straight arrow.
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approaching that time
Please call me toward the end of the week.
pliːz kɔːl miː təˈwɔːrd ði end əv ðə wiːk
Ring me around the end of the week.
A finger sliding along the calendar to the far edge of the week.
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put to that purpose
This payment goes toward your rent.
ðɪs ˈpeɪmənt ɡoʊz təˈwɔːrd jɔːr rent
This payment goes to your rent.
A coin rolling into a jar labelled rent.
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tilting one way
Opinion is moving toward the new plan.
əˈpɪnjən ɪz ˈmuːvɪŋ təˈwɔːrd ðə nuː plæn
Opinion is swinging to the new plan.
A pair of scales tipping slowly to one side.
All of it in one picture
TOWARD is a direction. Point a body and it is the way you are walking; point a feeling and it is how you treat someone; point time and it becomes around then; point money and it becomes a contribution to something; point opinion and it becomes a drift one way. The question is never whether you arrived, only where your nose is pointing.