PREVAILING Synonyms: 141 Similar and Opposite Words

prevailing 1 of 2

adjective

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

as in general

held by or applicable to a majority of the people the prevailing custom here is to leave one's doors unlocked

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

prevailing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of prevail

as in winning

to achieve victory (as in a contest) we shall prevail despite the overwhelming odds

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in surviving

to continue to operate or to meet one's needs a custom that still prevails in many areas of Africa

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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

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 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 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

Although his roles were ostensibly romantic leads, Astaire had an almost radically unorthodox appeal—one that, in its urbanity, cosmopolitanism, elegance, and grace, challenged the prevailing standards for male movie stardom. — David Hajdu, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026 There is not a significant maturity wall ahead of us that is an immediate threat in terms of rolling over the French debt at prevailing yields. — CNBC, 19 Oct. 2026 The Brazilian model’s gorgeousness helped sell countless bras, her beauty not only meeting the highest of prevailing standards but arguably moving the goalpost in an even harder-to-reach direction. — Marci Robin, Allure, 18 Oct. 2026 The prevailing and most desirable silhouette in handbags is a slim east-west carried by a thin pencil line shoulder-length top handle. — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026 In that span, the prevailing public narrative about Simmons shifted radically — from a guy zealously dedicated to rehabbing and the game itself to questions about his desire and dedication. — Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026 In addition, these findings match up with a prevailing idea among archaeologists that early crop domestication was often a slow, multistage process taking place over thousands of years. — Ornob Alam, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026 Their painting style—Abstract Expressionism—with its revolutionary use of physical gesture, bold images, and rich painterly surfaces made a wide sweep of the then prevailing European Cubist esthetic. — Barbara Rose, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2026 El Niño is known to suppress Atlantic Basin tropical storm formation, so there could be some correlation in lack of Atlantic storms versus snow output, but that is likely due to the prevailing global wind pattern known as El Niño. — Ron Smiley, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for prevailing

Adjective

Compared to conventional microscopes, the Airscope offers a complete upgrade in neural imaging.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
Grid current passes through silicon carbide transistors that switch at high frequency before sending it through a small conventional transformer, preserving the essential electrical isolation between the grid and everything downstream.

— Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of conventional

Adjective

Jason Reynolds, Lockheed Martin’s vice president and general manager of Integrated Air and Missile Defense, described RIG-360 as critical to PAC-3 operations and in-flight performance.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
Vance has faced general questions about his association with Carlson, a former Fox News host who faced backlash last year for interviewing antisemite Nick Fuentes on his podcast.

— Thomas Beaumont, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of general

Verb

However, if Democrats focus on AI safety after winning control of one or both chambers of Congress next month, the group’s work on AI issues leaves it well-positioned.

— Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Swim goggles worn by pro athletes in winning locker rooms carry logos for celebratory libations like Moët & Chandon or Michelob Ultra.

— Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of winning

Verb

In the two years since Payne’s death, each surviving member has returned to making music.

— Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 17 Oct. 2026
Many who hadn’t lost a house couldn’t imagine surviving a grueling six-year fight with an insurance company for money and the city for permits — let alone twice.

— Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of surviving

Adjective

Murray says her own experience has made her more understanding when female colleagues seem more tired or irritable than usual, particularly when the behavior is out of character.

— Jo Ann Liguori, Flow Space, 21 Oct. 2026
Its warped vocal harmonies are ripe and sour, including guest appearances from the band’s friends, and off-kilter squiggles on steel guitar deviate from their usual pattern.

— Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of usual

Adjective

Avoiding it in the first place makes far more sense, even if the K3's additional hardware and energy requirements complicate the question of its overall environmental footprint.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
The overall bargain, however, laid the foundation for what has become a highly successful deterrence, reassurance, and nonproliferation regime.

— Ivo H. Daalder, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of overall

Verb

Later in the third, Baker led an 11-play, 66-yard drive lasting six-and-a-half minutes that ended with his 2-yard touchdown pass to Bockler.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
Electrons move so quickly inside atoms and molecules that studying their behavior requires flashes of light lasting just a fraction of a billionth of a billionth of a second.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of lasting

Adjective

The district also later reported that about 2,000 student assessment records had been posted, including those of 60 current students.

— Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
The calves struggled against a current thick with floating clumps of river plants.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026