1
as in conventional
accepted, used, or practiced by most people
the principal disagrees with the prevailing attitude toward corporal punishment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in general
held by or applicable to a majority of the people
the prevailing custom here is to leave one's doors unlocked
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in winning
to achieve victory (as in a contest)
we shall prevail despite the overwhelming odds
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in surviving
to continue to operate or to meet one's needs
a custom that still prevails in many areas of Africa
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prevailing
Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
In the northern United States, enjoying the starry winter sky requires protection against the prevailing low temperatures.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 16 Jan. 2026
The monthly stochastic oscillator remains in overbought territory ( > 80%), underscoring the strength of the prevailing bullish trend rather than signaling exhaustion.
—Katie Stockton, CNBC, 15 Dec. 2025
As municipal pools became mixed-gender in the 1920s and ’30s, swimming naked no longer fit prevailing notions of decency.
—Jacob Beckert, The Atlantic, 13 Nov. 2025
Dissent is nothing more than the expression of an opinion that varies from the prevailing or traditional view or the position held by those in power.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Twin Cities, 26 Sep. 2025
Ben Appel, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
For years, the prevailing assumption was that college was the safest route to stability—even as tuition climbed and outcomes grew less curtain.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
Stretching away from the coma is a long tail sculpted by radiation from the sun and the prevailing solar wind.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 2 Mar. 2026
This tendency to try way too hard is as much a prevailing theme of the book as anything.
—Matt Fleming, Oc Register, 2 Mar. 2026
And the prevailing narrative around your first Oscars nomination is that you were favored to win and robbed.
—Rachel Handler, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
With the team’s best players playing so well down that stretch, especially Thomas, the prevailing thought was that adding center depth in Pius Suter and Nick Bjugstad could keep them in the wild-card conversation.
—Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
So while there were certain elements that would’ve made this a nice trip for a family with young adults, that wasn’t the prevailing guest.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Feb. 2026
As events are leaning toward David Ellison and Paramount prevailing in its $108 billion hostile-takeover bid for Warner Bros Discovery, almost a dozen Republican state attorneys general are insisting that the federal government heavily scrutinize Netflix‘s bid for the iconic studio.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Harvesting seed nearby is a way to get plants that are genetically adapted to the prevailing environmental conditions and are more likely to thrive.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
In the northern United States, enjoying the starry winter sky requires protection against the prevailing low temperatures.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 16 Jan. 2026
The monthly stochastic oscillator remains in overbought territory ( > 80%), underscoring the strength of the prevailing bullish trend rather than signaling exhaustion.
—Katie Stockton, CNBC, 15 Dec. 2025
As municipal pools became mixed-gender in the 1920s and ’30s, swimming naked no longer fit prevailing notions of decency.
—Jacob Beckert, The Atlantic, 13 Nov. 2025
Dissent is nothing more than the expression of an opinion that varies from the prevailing or traditional view or the position held by those in power.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Twin Cities, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
The prevailing view was that any debate within our side would become ammunition for the right.
—Ben Appel, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
For years, the prevailing assumption was that college was the safest route to stability—even as tuition climbed and outcomes grew less curtain.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
Stretching away from the coma is a long tail sculpted by radiation from the sun and the prevailing solar wind.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 2 Mar. 2026
This tendency to try way too hard is as much a prevailing theme of the book as anything.
—Matt Fleming, Oc Register, 2 Mar. 2026
And the prevailing narrative around your first Oscars nomination is that you were favored to win and robbed.
—Rachel Handler, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
With the team’s best players playing so well down that stretch, especially Thomas, the prevailing thought was that adding center depth in Pius Suter and Nick Bjugstad could keep them in the wild-card conversation.
—Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
So while there were certain elements that would’ve made this a nice trip for a family with young adults, that wasn’t the prevailing guest.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Feb. 2026
As events are leaning toward David Ellison and Paramount prevailing in its $108 billion hostile-takeover bid for Warner Bros Discovery, almost a dozen Republican state attorneys general are insisting that the federal government heavily scrutinize Netflix‘s bid for the iconic studio.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prevailing
Adjective
-
The key innovation in this motor lies in the use of amorphous steel, a material that differs from conventional electrical steels commonly used in motor cores.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Our goal is also always to bring together established and emerging voices, challenging the conventional formats.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The legislation would cut $131 million from the general fund for fiscal year 2026.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
-
In general, the singers class up the production.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Lakers’ coach described walking in and seeing the Heat leading with three minutes left, on the verge of winning their sixth consecutive game and Adebayo on the free-throw line (naturally).—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Saratoga ridden by Mark Walsh celebrates winning the McCoy Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham Racecourse on March 10, 2026 in Cheltenham, England.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Filip Hronek surviving fine without Quinn Hughes Before the Quinn Hughes trade, Filip Hronek had a 47 percent xG while scoring at a 42-point pace.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
History buffs will appreciate the Bonnet House Museum & Gardens, a 1920s estate with tropical charm, and the Stranahan House Museum, the city’s oldest surviving home.—
Carrie Honaker,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
China’s consumer-price growth accelerated to the quickest in over three years and factory deflation moderated again, after a rally in energy markets and as household spending boomed during a later-than-usual Lunar New Year holiday.—
Bloomberg News,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Even with a chunk of its usual rotation out, the Heat’s depth was still on display.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Big Sky title won, Idaho is headed to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016 — riding a program-record 18-game winning streak in addition to a program-best 29 overall wins this season.—
Rachel Roberts,
Idaho Statesman,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Lakewood police were heavily criticized for their handling of the investigation into Gratton’s death, including for using her deadname and for an overall lack of transparency about the investigation.—
The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
With each solar orbit lasting 769 days, that’s a real-time slowdown of just over 10 micrometers per second, shrinking the asteroids’ 300-million-mile orbit by 2,360 feet.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Your reliability builds lasting bridges that support future goals.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The facility had been recently hardened with a concrete shell and then covered with soil in the months before the current conflict.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The discovery that the sun and many of these solar twins are of similar ages and located about the same distance from the center of the galaxy suggests that the sun is not at its current position by accident.—
Charles Q. Choi,
Space.com,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prevailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prevailing. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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