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
Recalling Reid’s post-game message to the team, linebacker Leo Chenal began his own critique of the loss with the night’s prevailing theme.
—
Chris Ochsner, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025
Last year, rideshare companies prevailed in court after organized labor challenged Proposition 22, an initiative passed in 2020 that exempted Uber and Lyft from having to classify their drivers as employees and grant them benefits.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Those tensions fuelled a narrative battle, too, over what, exactly, was going on inside the walls of the state’s prisons and whose perspective would prevail.
—Jennifer Gonnerman, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
The Biden administration’s prevailing wage rule has also raised concerns that snaking requirements backed by Big Labor are throttling the industry.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prevail
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Chris Ochsner, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025
Last year, rideshare companies prevailed in court after organized labor challenged Proposition 22, an initiative passed in 2020 that exempted Uber and Lyft from having to classify their drivers as employees and grant them benefits.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Those tensions fuelled a narrative battle, too, over what, exactly, was going on inside the walls of the state’s prisons and whose perspective would prevail.
—Jennifer Gonnerman, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
The Biden administration’s prevailing wage rule has also raised concerns that snaking requirements backed by Big Labor are throttling the industry.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 6 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 9 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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