prevailed; prevailing; prevails
1
: to gain ascendancy through strength or superiority : triumph
2
: to be or become effective or effectual
3
: to use persuasion successfully
prevailed on him to sing
4
: to be frequent : predominate
the west winds that prevail in the mountains
5
: to be or continue in use or fashion : persist
a custom that still prevails
Examples of prevail in a Sentence
Mutual respect prevails among students and teachers here.
The house was built in the style that prevailed in the 1980s.
The law still prevails in some states.
Recent Examples on the Web
In Europe, cutting-edge shopping services are crucial to gain customers’ trust, which relies more on concrete brand actions rather than storytelling, as overall pragmatism in purchasing habits prevail.
—
Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2025
The foundation prevailed over Lund and other departing directors in its drive for immediate, sweeping changes on the board in support of new Chief Executive Officer Maziar Mike Doustdar’s strategy.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
The prevailing wisdom is that Medicaid is a losing proposition for health facilities, an insurance program so stingy that many can’t afford to take it.
—Helen Ouyang, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2025
His teammates needed the full seven games to pull out a victory, but ultimately prevailed over the Seattle Mariners on Monday in Toronto.
—Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prevail
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Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2025
The foundation prevailed over Lund and other departing directors in its drive for immediate, sweeping changes on the board in support of new Chief Executive Officer Maziar Mike Doustdar’s strategy.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
The prevailing wisdom is that Medicaid is a losing proposition for health facilities, an insurance program so stingy that many can’t afford to take it.
—Helen Ouyang, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2025
His teammates needed the full seven games to pull out a victory, but ultimately prevailed over the Seattle Mariners on Monday in Toronto.
—Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prevail
Cite this Entry
“Prevail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prevail. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prevail
verb
pre·vail
pri-ˈvā(ə)l 
1
: to win against opposition : be successful
our team prevailed
truth will prevail over error
believed injustice should not prevail
2
: to urge successfully
prevailed upon me to play a few tunes
3
a
: to be frequent
the storms that prevail there in winter
b
: to be or continue to be in use or fashion
lower rates prevail in the evening
customs that still prevail
Legal Definition
prevail
intransitive verb
pre·vail
pri-ˈvāl
1
: to obtain substantially the relief or action sought in a lawsuit
2
: to be frequent or predominant
the prevailing rate
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