succeed

verb

suc·ceed | \ sək-ˈsēd

succeeded; succeeding; succeeds

Definition of succeed

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

Other Words from succeed Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about succeed

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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

The private-equity firm that focuses on the metals and mining sector also recommended Hudbay fire Alan Hair as CEO, who took over as chief in 2016 and has been a board member since 2012, and hire Peter Kukielski to succeed him and join the board. — Patrick Thomas, WSJ, "Waterton Seeks to Replace Board, CEO at Canadian Miner Hudbay," 16 Jan. 2019 Basically, should a serious national emergency arise, then the U.S. President (or the person who has had to succeed him or her) can authorize a temporary government to maintain control of the essential functions of the Federal Government. — Allison Barrie, Fox News, "Meet the new Air Force helicopters that can 'defy Armageddon'," 27 Sep. 2018 Brett Kavanaugh, Trump’s choice to succeed outgoing Justice Anthony Kennedy, also wasted no time in kissing the ring. — Cristian Farias, Daily Intelligencer, "In Kavanaugh, Trump Found Another Judge Who Will Kiss the Ring," 10 July 2018 Amal Thapar passed up for SCOTUS President Donald Trump on Monday night nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh, a Washington insider, to succeed Justice Anthony Kennedy. — Thomas Novelly, The Courier-Journal, "Supreme Court nominee, rape kits and rent: What to know Tuesday," 10 July 2018 If May does go, the future of Brexit will depend on who succeeds her. — Billy Perrigo, Time, "Boris Johnson's Resignation Over Brexit Could Lead to Major Shakeups in British Politics. Here's What to Know," 9 July 2018 Since Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement, insiders in Washington legal circles and on Capitol Hill have presumed that Brett Kavanaugh is the front-runner to succeed him. — James Hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Trump’s confusion about Bush’s slogan illustrates his narrow view of the presidency," 9 July 2018 Where managers have succeeded they in turn have quickly fallen out of favour, players have also come and gone and in some cases returned again only to once again be marginalised - see David Luiz and Nemanja Matic - yet success has been sustained. — SI.com, "The Mounting Uncertainty at Chelsea Has Seen the Club Relinquish Their Top 4 Birthright," 9 July 2018 And his popularity is shaping the crowded race to succeed him. — Greg Bluestein, ajc, "Understanding Georgia’s GOP runoff for governor," 29 June 2018

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

21 Jan 2019

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The first known use of succeed was in the 14th century

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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