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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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

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

The technical setup supports a rebound within the context of the prevailing downtrend. — Katie Stockton, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2026 The prevailing assumption, though, was that the two had been punished. — Yasushi Inoue, New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2026 The newest prosecution of Comey, because of a supposedly threatening arrangement of seashells on a beach, is equally unlikely to stand up under prevailing law. — David Baldacci, Vanity Fair, 3 Nov. 2026 Since then, various names have been thrown into the mix, with three rising stars prevailing to this day. — Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 3 Nov. 2026 This can be especially uncomfortable when the prevailing narrative holds its own special significance, but pondering such complexities strengthens our minds and our spirits. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 2 Nov. 2026 Some want the federal government to pay companies to lay down fiber in places where prevailing market forces wouldn’t take them. — IEEE Spectrum, 2 Nov. 2026 For those who survive Ebola, leaving treatment centers and going back home does not necessarily end a prevailing rejection by their communities. — ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026 But Eddy also expressed respect for Rapinoe’s willingness to speak her mind, recalling that her outspoken positions initially challenged prevailing views. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for prevailing

Adjective

That capability addresses an important limitation of conventional cargo spacecraft.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 11 Nov. 2026
Homebuyers who have served or are currently serving in the military can save thousands in housing payments annually by using a VA loan benefit, which offers rates lower than conventional mortgages and doesn't require private mortgage insurance.

— Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of conventional

Adjective

At Nick the Greek in downtown Davis, general manager Trina Ordonez said she's noticed an increase in people experiencing homelessness coming into the restaurant.

— Brady Halbleib, CBS News, 11 Nov. 2026
Former Kings general manager and defenseman Rob Blake was in attendance.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026

Definition of general

Verb

Five takeaways from the Miami Heat’s 115-109 win over the Utah Jazz (1-10) on Tuesday night at Delta Center to clinch a winning 3-2 five-game West Coast trip.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2026
Going forward, Budd’s race will be one of the most expensive in 2028 and will be a test of whether Democrats can expand their foothold in the South after winning seats in South Carolina and possibly Mississippi.

— David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 11 Nov. 2026

Definition of winning

Verb

Flagello’s surviving widow Dianne, a former director of the Manhattan School of Music, arranged the suite in his honor.

— Lucy Gellman, Hartford Courant, 7 Nov. 2026
Paul Howard, the only son of The Three Stooges‘ Moe Howard and the last surviving son of the comedy team’s classic line up – Moe, brothers Curly and Shemp, and Larry Fine – died this week.

— Greg Evans, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of surviving

Adjective

Rumors about the lineup had been flying around for weeks, as per usual in the fall, with multiple reports naming the eventual headliners while the festival stayed mum on the official report.

— Vanessa Franko, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026
Hood is a spiritual advisor to inmates all over the country, but has been busier than usual in Florida — a state that has put a record-breaking 38 people to death since 2025, with more scheduled this year, under the guidance of DeSantis.

— Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2026

Definition of usual

Adjective

In robot manipulation tests, VFlash also cut overall inference latency by about 80% on NVIDIA’s Jetson Thor and DGX Spark platforms, potentially helping robots respond faster to changing environments.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026
The Anteaters went three for 22 from three-point range and shot 24% (14 of 59) overall.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of overall

Verb

Build lasting centers for constitutional study and serious debate.

— Ilya Shapiro, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
Yet Television’s peak era was brief, lasting for just two albums before the band split in 1978 and Verlaine and Lloyd pursued solo careers, although the band reformed in 1992 and regrouped several times over the years.

— Jem Aswad, Variety, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of lasting

Adjective

The current titleholder of largest artificial reef is the USS Oriskany, a former aircraft carrier sunk in 2006 off the coast of Pensacola, Florida.

— Todd C. Frankel, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
The governor described the GOP's current dynamic as a natural process for a party whose leader is deep in his second term.

— STEVEN SLOAN, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026