as in widespread
existing in every part of something; spreading to all parts of something
A pervasive smell filled the room. the pervasive nature of the problem
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pervasive
The influence of Westerns and other films from classical Hollywood is pervasive throughout the new season, even in locations that might not seem to lend themselves to such an approach.
—
Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 19 Apr. 2026
News of his death became pervasive on Telegram, Instagram, X and other platforms, with the same four images shared over and over.
—Jane Lytvynenko, NBC news, 17 Apr. 2026
That compressed timeline is producing what Horowitz described as a pervasive anxiety among founders—particularly those who built their companies before AI and now face a market that has structurally changed beneath them.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2026
Before this 2025 breakthrough, Sabrina had harnessed grassroots organizing and digital advocacy to spotlight the pervasive violence faced by women and girls.
—Anna Mutavati, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pervasive
Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 19 Apr. 2026
News of his death became pervasive on Telegram, Instagram, X and other platforms, with the same four images shared over and over.
—Jane Lytvynenko, NBC news, 17 Apr. 2026
That compressed timeline is producing what Horowitz described as a pervasive anxiety among founders—particularly those who built their companies before AI and now face a market that has structurally changed beneath them.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2026
Before this 2025 breakthrough, Sabrina had harnessed grassroots organizing and digital advocacy to spotlight the pervasive violence faced by women and girls.
—Anna Mutavati, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pervasive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pervasive
Adjective
-
Since then, prices for many games have been raised further, sparking widespread outrage.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Following its premiere, the musical quickly became a cultural phenomenon, earning widespread critical acclaim and sweeping the 2016 Tony Awards with 11 wins, including Best Musical, while also taking home the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and a Grammy Award.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Then last June, the Nuggets snatched Wallace back from Minnesota, hiring him as their new co-general manager alongside his friend Ben Tenzer — another longtime Connelly disciple who’d been a steady hand behind the scenes in Denver’s front office since 2013.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Jacksonville general manager James Gladstone and coach Liam Coen cut their teeth as part of the Rams organization, learning from GM Les Snead and coach Sean McVay.—
Mark Long,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
People first began coming to the barrier island town in 1830, when it was established as North Carolina's first tourist colony by a planter who wanted to get his family away from the malaria that was so prevalent in his home fields.—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The anxiety about finances is so prevalent right now.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
By the end of that show, the anxiety and isolation that freight life in the closet had burned away, leaving a happy, hopeful ending in place of familiar narrative disaster; love is found, secrecy is banished, and all is well.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
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Yet, lurking on social media, the appointment unleashed the all-too-familiar torrent of hate, sexism and misogyny.—
Sebastian Shukla,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The group noted the projection was revised upward from an earlier estimate owing to an additional year in the budget window and higher prevailing interest rates.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
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Likewise, prevailing concepts of Hamlet at the time cast the prince as a wan and melancholic, leading critics to bristle at Bernhardt’s energy.—
Betsy Golden Kellem,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pervasive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pervasive. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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