succeed

verb

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suc·ceed | \ sək-ˈsēd

succeeded; succeeding; succeeds

Definition of succeed

intransitive verb

1a : to come next after another in office or position or in possession of an estate especially : to inherit sovereignty, rank, or title

b : to follow after another in order

2a : to turn out well

b : to attain a desired object or end students who succeed in college

3 obsolete : to pass to a person by inheritance

transitive verb

1 : to follow in sequence and especially immediately

2 : to come after as heir or successor

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Choose the Right Synonym for succeed

follow, succeed, ensue, supervene mean to come after something or someone. follow may apply to a coming after in time, position, or logical sequence. speeches followed the dinner succeed implies a coming after immediately in a sequence determined by natural order, inheritance, election, or laws of rank. she succeeded her father as head of the business ensue commonly suggests a logical consequence or naturally expected development. after the talk a general discussion ensued supervene suggests the following or beginning of something unforeseen or unpredictable. unable to continue because of supervening circumstances

Examples of succeed in a Sentence

Ghosh's remarkable detective work succeeds in rescuing an entire group of marginalized figures from British and South Asian amnesia, if not outright denial. — Maya Jasanoff, New York Review of Books, 18 Dec. 2008 Enter Gordon Brown. Journalistic legend has it that, over dinner in a trendy London restaurant as long ago as 1994, the two of them settled that Blair would lead the Labour party for an unspecified length of time and Brown would then succeed him. — David Pryce-Jones, National Review, 28 May 2007 Maguire, a freelance writer who specializes in culture and technology and recently published a book about spelling bees, paints a vivid portrait of Sullivan as a tough-minded micromanager who tightly controlled every aspect of his show, even telling Ella Fitzgerald what to sing. Behind the avuncular, slightly befuddled façade viewers knew, he writes, was a man consumed by ambition and driven to succeed at any cost. — Peter Keepnews, New York Times Book Review, 11 June 2006 You can succeed where others failed. The plan just might succeed. Their attempt seemed unlikely to succeed. Both of them have ambitions to succeed the prime minister. She will succeed him as chair of the committee. The Queen died and was succeeded by James I. James I succeeded to the throne upon the Queen's death in 1603.

Recent Examples on the Web Here are 3 vital strategies to ensure skills-first models succeed at your company, and work to drive meaningful change in our economy. — Francisca Williams-oni, Forbes, "Skills-Based Hiring Alone Won’t Solve Your Inclusion Problem," 2 Mar. 2021 But cisgender girls should have the right to compete and succeed, too. — Michael Ruiz, Fox News, "Connecticut girls lose support from Biden administration in transgender athlete case," 25 Feb. 2021 Once the loan was approved, city officials had an incentive to help Haywood succeed. — jsonline.com, "Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism.," 24 Feb. 2021 The Daily Mail also reported that Emily plays for South-West London's Football Beyond Borders Warriors, which is a charity that uses football to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds succeed in school and in their transition to adulthood. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "Everything You Need to Know About Regé-Jean Page's Girlfriend, Emily Brown," 23 Feb. 2021 The recall calendar, the all-mail scenario If the Newsom recall supporters succeed in gathering at least 1,495,709 valid voter signatures, a number of things that are unique to this kind of election will happen next. — John Myers, Los Angeles Times, "Essential Politics: The odds of a Newsom recall election are growing," 22 Feb. 2021 Conservation, hunting, fishing, and agriculture groups say that the plan could succeed, as long as everyone involved actually has a seat at the table. — Popular Science, "Biden sets an ambitious goal to protect 30 percent of US lands and waters," 22 Feb. 2021 But despite the obvious signs of progress, questions remain about the extent to which the effort, known as COVAX, can succeed. — Ed Silverman, STAT, "New pledges boost COVAX, but critics say more is needed to ensure global vaccine access," 22 Feb. 2021 The Mayhew alongside Smart Works which helps women to succeed at job interviews. — Victoria Murphy, Town & Country, "Queen Elizabeth Confirms That Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Will Not Return as Working Royals," 19 Feb. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'succeed.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

4 Mar 2021

Cite this Entry

“Succeed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/succeed. Accessed 7 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for succeed

succeed

verb

English Language Learners Definition of succeed

: to do what you are trying to do : to achieve the correct or desired result

: to happen in the planned or desired way

: to come after (something) in a series

See the full definition for succeed in the English Language Learners Dictionary

succeed

verb

suc·ceed | \ sək-ˈsēd

succeeded; succeeding

Kids Definition of succeed

1 : to achieve a desired result : be successful Half of them wanted me to mess up, and half of them wanted me to succeed.— Jack Gantos, Joey Pigza Loses Control

2 : to turn out well The plan succeeded.

3 : to come after : follow This new model of car succeeds the old one.

4 : to come next after another person in office or position

succeed

intransitive verb

suc·ceed | \ sək-ˈsēd

Legal Definition of succeed

1 : to come next after another in office or position

2a : to take something by succession succeeded to his mother's estate

b : to acquire the rights, obligations, and charges of a decedent in property comprising an estate the heir, who accepts, is considered as having succeeded to the deceased from the moment of his death — Louisiana Civil Code

transitive verb

1 : to follow in sequence and especially immediately

2 : to come after as heir or successor

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