1
a
: degree or measure of succeeding
b
: favorable or desired outcome
also
: the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence
2
: one that succeeds
Examples of success in a Sentence
An enormous popular and critical success, The Liars' Club was credited with (or blamed for) launching a new wave of memoir-writing. (Karr deflects this accusation: "I think memoir started with St. Augustine," she told Salon in 1997.)
—
Mollie Wilson O'Reilly, Commonweal, 23 Oct. 2009
Fred tries to keep up his end of the conversation, but without much success; he has never grown bulbs, cooked veal, seen a film by Fassbinder, etc. He feels provincial and out of it …
—Alison Lurie, Foreign Affairs, 2006
Since I was interested in finding out about the successes as well as the failures disabled women experience in the world, I interviewed women who had some work experience, although it was often part-time work and sometimes interrupted.
—Mary Grimley Mason, Working Against Odds, 2004
The necessaries of life for man in this climate may, accurately enough, be distributed under the several heads of Food, Shelter, Clothing, and Fuel; for not till we have secured these are we prepared to entertain the true problems of life with freedom and a prospect of success.
—Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854
Success came easily to him.
She is country music's most recent success.
The growth of the tourism industry is one of the city's great successes.
Mollie Wilson O'Reilly, Commonweal, 23 Oct. 2009
Fred tries to keep up his end of the conversation, but without much success; he has never grown bulbs, cooked veal, seen a film by Fassbinder, etc. He feels provincial and out of it …
—Alison Lurie, Foreign Affairs, 2006
Since I was interested in finding out about the successes as well as the failures disabled women experience in the world, I interviewed women who had some work experience, although it was often part-time work and sometimes interrupted.
—Mary Grimley Mason, Working Against Odds, 2004
The necessaries of life for man in this climate may, accurately enough, be distributed under the several heads of Food, Shelter, Clothing, and Fuel; for not till we have secured these are we prepared to entertain the true problems of life with freedom and a prospect of success.
—Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854
Success came easily to him.
She is country music's most recent success.
The growth of the tourism industry is one of the city's great successes.
Recent Examples on the Web
Likewise, endorsing the belief that a college degree is important for economic success is different than agreeing that the typical college curriculum equips students with essential job skills.
—Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Whether the backups can repeat that success on Sunday will go a long way to determining if the 49ers can win on the road again.
—Pueng Vongs, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
But stateside grosses are also just the latest success for the anime epic.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 13 Sep. 2025
Fire spread to the north will be dependent on the success of firing operations off of northern control lines.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for success
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Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Whether the backups can repeat that success on Sunday will go a long way to determining if the 49ers can win on the road again.
—Pueng Vongs, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
But stateside grosses are also just the latest success for the anime epic.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 13 Sep. 2025
Fire spread to the north will be dependent on the success of firing operations off of northern control lines.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for success
Cite this Entry
“Success.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/success. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
success
noun
suc·cess
sək-ˈses 
1
a
: degree or measure of succeeding
b
: satisfactory completion of something
c
: the gaining of wealth, respect, or fame
2
: a person or thing that succeeds
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