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
Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026
The Actor award went to Amy Madigan, a lone nominee from a horror film who’s swimming against a prevailing current that favors Best Picture heavyweights.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
The spectacle comported with the prevailing views of this ensemble’s antisemitism, but its sheer brazenness catapulted them to a new level of mainstream notoriety.
—Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 11 Mar. 2026
There were in 11 lead changes and four ties with Pitt prevailing on the strength of 20-7 advantage on the offensive boards, outscoring Stanford 25-7 in second-chance points and by 12 in the paint.
—ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026
When fading a strong prevailing trend, there is a high probability the very first entry will go underwater.
—Nishant Pant, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2026
Mortgage points often cap out at 1% off the prevailing interest rate, though this will vary depending on the lender.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026
The lease extension requires the zoo to start paying prevailing wages on large construction projects and to make climate-friendly any new or significantly renovated buildings.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
The median resale house at the prevailing interest rates with 20% down would cost $2,300 per month in December 2025, double the figure from December 2019.
—Jonathan J. Cooper, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 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
Season 2’s prevailing tone is at once more serious and less sorrowful.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026
The Actor award went to Amy Madigan, a lone nominee from a horror film who’s swimming against a prevailing current that favors Best Picture heavyweights.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
The spectacle comported with the prevailing views of this ensemble’s antisemitism, but its sheer brazenness catapulted them to a new level of mainstream notoriety.
—Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 11 Mar. 2026
There were in 11 lead changes and four ties with Pitt prevailing on the strength of 20-7 advantage on the offensive boards, outscoring Stanford 25-7 in second-chance points and by 12 in the paint.
—ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026
When fading a strong prevailing trend, there is a high probability the very first entry will go underwater.
—Nishant Pant, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2026
Mortgage points often cap out at 1% off the prevailing interest rate, though this will vary depending on the lender.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026
The lease extension requires the zoo to start paying prevailing wages on large construction projects and to make climate-friendly any new or significantly renovated buildings.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
The median resale house at the prevailing interest rates with 20% down would cost $2,300 per month in December 2025, double the figure from December 2019.
—Jonathan J. Cooper, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 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
-
In the state’s death chamber in Huntsville, Ricks apologized in his last statement to the third, surviving victim, Marcus Figueroa, who watched the execution through glass, the closest person among his relatives in an observation room to Ricks.—
Emerson Clarridge
Updated March 12,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Elliott and others located the victims at Pizza City early on the morning of April 16, shooting one victim to death and shooting another surviving victim multiple times.—
Josh Davis,
Baltimore Sun,
12 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 14 Mar. 2026.
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