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
The chair of the Israeli parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Boaz Bismuth, reflected the prevailing view in a tweet following a classified briefing with senior military leaders.
—
Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
If it can be said that a honeymoon period prevailed following the 2021 agreements, that sense of fellow feeling has long since dissipated.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 11 May 2026
New York has prevailed in the first three games of the series against the 76ers by margins of 39, six and 14 points, underscoring their ability to come out on top in a variety of different game scenarios.
—Juan Carlos Blanco, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
But the prevailing auditory sense that stands out in memory is an uncanny calmness, met by a student trapped inside, alive and aware, who cut through the stillness to comfort his peers while their fates remained sealed between earth and steel.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for prevail
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
If it can be said that a honeymoon period prevailed following the 2021 agreements, that sense of fellow feeling has long since dissipated.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 11 May 2026
New York has prevailed in the first three games of the series against the 76ers by margins of 39, six and 14 points, underscoring their ability to come out on top in a variety of different game scenarios.
—Juan Carlos Blanco, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
But the prevailing auditory sense that stands out in memory is an uncanny calmness, met by a student trapped inside, alive and aware, who cut through the stillness to comfort his peers while their fates remained sealed between earth and steel.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for prevail
Cite this Entry
“Prevail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prevail. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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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