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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of prevailing
Elizabeth Shackelford, Twin Cities, 26 Sep. 2025
Kansas City Star, 5 Nov. 2025
One of the prevailing theories posits that little red dots are feeding and growing supermassive black holes.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2025
In her ruling on Sunday, Immergut said the facts as established during the trial and other proceedings show that the state of Oregon, which is suing to stop the deployment, has a good chance of prevailing.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Sometimes, these ideas are diluted and trickle down into the prevailing trends of the day.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
The prevailing theory is that, during prehistoric ice ages, changes in sea level and fierce winds created large sand dunes.
—Mike Bezemek, Outside, 29 Oct. 2025
The returns of money market funds depend on prevailing interest rates.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2025
The bet being placed by CNN, that a meaningful number of paying subscribers will shell out for video news, stands in contrast with the prevailing sentiment at other major companies like CBS and NBCUniversal.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
After years of a 4-4-2 being the prevailing setup across Europe in the 1990s, former Manchester City assistant manager Juanma Lillo was an early exponent of the 4-2-3-1 system in the early 2000s during his time in Spain.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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
Carolina and Kansas have played seven times in the NCAAs, with KU prevailing in five of the seven contests.
—Kansas City Star, 5 Nov. 2025
One of the prevailing theories posits that little red dots are feeding and growing supermassive black holes.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2025
In her ruling on Sunday, Immergut said the facts as established during the trial and other proceedings show that the state of Oregon, which is suing to stop the deployment, has a good chance of prevailing.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Sometimes, these ideas are diluted and trickle down into the prevailing trends of the day.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
The prevailing theory is that, during prehistoric ice ages, changes in sea level and fierce winds created large sand dunes.
—Mike Bezemek, Outside, 29 Oct. 2025
The returns of money market funds depend on prevailing interest rates.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2025
The bet being placed by CNN, that a meaningful number of paying subscribers will shell out for video news, stands in contrast with the prevailing sentiment at other major companies like CBS and NBCUniversal.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
After years of a 4-4-2 being the prevailing setup across Europe in the 1990s, former Manchester City assistant manager Juanma Lillo was an early exponent of the 4-2-3-1 system in the early 2000s during his time in Spain.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prevailing
Adjective
-
That sentiment, while proclaimed in jest, captures a current appetite among many celebrities and fans alike to break away from conventional interviews in favor of more authentic and flavorful content.—
Yahya Salem,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Reports claimed that the KSOT is designed to provide a fast, efficient and effective solution to strengthen the Indonesia’s maritime combat capabilities, while complementing its existing fleet of conventional submarines.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Amir Mahmoud is a general assignment and transportation beat reporter at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.—
Amir Mahmoud,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Veteran edge rusher Bradley Chubb said interim general manager Champ Kelly kept him and his agent Erik Burkhardt updated in the days before the trade deadline.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The title-winning standard has been lower in recent years; City won it with 86, 93, 89 and 91 points between 2020-21 and 2023-24 and Liverpool with 84 points last season, but some of those totals give a false impression.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Get tech-smarter on your schedule Award-winning host Kim Komando is your secret weapon for navigating tech.—
The Kim Komando Show,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Eighty-seven years after surviving the terror of Kristallnacht, a 101-year-old Holocaust survivor says the world today feels alarmingly similar to Nazi Germany in 1938.—
Ashley Carnahan,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
-
The surviving members of Soundgarden — Matt Cameron, Kim Thayil, Ben Shepherd, and founding bassist Hiro Yamamoto — were present for the induction.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
His usual producer, Nick Schwarz, took the first crack at it and cut a version that hit hard.—
Tom Roland,
Billboard,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Across all household sizes, the SNAP reduction is roughly 49 percent—meaning households claiming the top amount will get about half of their usual monthly benefit in November.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
While it's left some passengers making backup plans and reserving rental cars, the flights canceled Friday represented just a small portion of overall flights nationwide.—
JOSH FUNK,
Arkansas Online,
8 Nov. 2025
-
This approach enhances the adsorption of lithium polysulfides and accelerates their redox reactions, thereby mitigating the shuttle effect and improving overall kinetics.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
As companies pour trillions into transformation efforts, few see lasting results.—
Jana Werner,
Harvard Business Review,
5 Nov. 2025
-
And some experts caution that the testing of nuclear warheads – creating actual nuclear explosions – hurts humans and can have lasting consequences for generations.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Taichito’s current location is unknown.—
Kim Aris,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Soon, Wegovy and Zepbound will be sold on a new website—dubbed TrumpRx—for only about $250 a month, a fraction of their current retail price of more than $1,000.—
Nicholas Florko,
The Atlantic,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prevailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prevailing. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share