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
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
News Desk,
Artforum,
2 July 2026
That pragmatic approach echoes the prevailing philosophy across much of Norway's maritime cluster.
—
Heather Farmbrough,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
In his June 12 ruling, Liman determined that Lively could pursue attorneys' fees and litigation costs as a prevailing defendant under the statute, while rejecting her efforts to recover treble damages and punitive damages.
—
Elizabeth Rosner,
PEOPLE,
30 June 2026
Before October 7th, a fifth of the West Bank’s labor force was employed in Israel, earning more than double the prevailing wage at home.
—
Nirit Peled,
New Yorker,
26 June 2026
Disappearing Japandi slats and minimal, low-to-the-ground frames were the prevailing bedroom fixtures, with an almost prescriptive adherence to the same overall look—white percale sheets, Noguchi lanterns, and midcentury alarm clocks.
—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
25 June 2026
There’s this prevailing sentiment of perseverance in spite of grief, and a compulsion to dedicate his success to those who witnessed the journey.
—
Olivier Lafontant,
Pitchfork,
25 June 2026
What’s more, the conditions attached to AB 2074 — onsite affordable homes, prevailing wages and workforce development opportunities — ensure that the state’s public investment produces broad benefits for our communities.
—
Anthony Tordillos,
Mercury News,
24 June 2026
The vote was 6-to-3, with the court's conservative supermajority prevailing.
—
Nina Totenberg,
NPR,
23 June 2026
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
Four bidders scrapped over the nearly eight-foot-high work, known as the Hamilton Laocoön, with a buyer new to the old masters market prevailing.
—
News Desk,
Artforum,
2 July 2026
That pragmatic approach echoes the prevailing philosophy across much of Norway's maritime cluster.
—
Heather Farmbrough,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
In his June 12 ruling, Liman determined that Lively could pursue attorneys' fees and litigation costs as a prevailing defendant under the statute, while rejecting her efforts to recover treble damages and punitive damages.
—
Elizabeth Rosner,
PEOPLE,
30 June 2026
Before October 7th, a fifth of the West Bank’s labor force was employed in Israel, earning more than double the prevailing wage at home.
—
Nirit Peled,
New Yorker,
26 June 2026
Disappearing Japandi slats and minimal, low-to-the-ground frames were the prevailing bedroom fixtures, with an almost prescriptive adherence to the same overall look—white percale sheets, Noguchi lanterns, and midcentury alarm clocks.
—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
25 June 2026
There’s this prevailing sentiment of perseverance in spite of grief, and a compulsion to dedicate his success to those who witnessed the journey.
—
Olivier Lafontant,
Pitchfork,
25 June 2026
What’s more, the conditions attached to AB 2074 — onsite affordable homes, prevailing wages and workforce development opportunities — ensure that the state’s public investment produces broad benefits for our communities.
—
Anthony Tordillos,
Mercury News,
24 June 2026
The vote was 6-to-3, with the court's conservative supermajority prevailing.
—
Nina Totenberg,
NPR,
23 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prevailing
Adjective
-
But cruise missiles are more versatile in conventional warfare.
-
The majority of Georgian wine reaching export markets is made in what producers call the European style — stainless steel fermentation, conventional winemaking, easily approachable.
Adjective
-
Little’s lack of response to a possible return that offseason resulted in general manager Ned Colletti pursuing other options.
-
While unions secured general salary increases last year to offset the salary reductions associated with the leave program, the agreements did not include similar increases in July 2026.
Verb
-
France has been the dominant team of this World Cup, winning all four of its games while outsourcing opponents 13-2.
-
Spanish fans are putting a lot of hope on Yamal as the national team has failed to make it past the round of 16 since winning the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Verb
-
Su expects the industry to eventually consolidate around a handful of major players, with the rest surviving on local government subsidies or support from other backers.
-
That’s because his is the rarest, with only about 50 surviving documents bearing his autograph.
Adjective
-
And because of the extreme concentration of wealth, the market’s rally is much more significant to the economy than usual — for good and bad.
-
In fact, Iran has no intention of going back to business as usual in the strait, Noam Raydan, senior fellow at the Washington Institute think tank, wrote in a blog post on Friday.
Adjective
-
Margarine naturally contains essential fatty acids, which are important for cell function and overall health.
-
That film, starring David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, ignited to $125 million and ended its run with $618 million, a promising enough tally amid the overall decline of comic book adaptations.
Verb
-
The night's special honors include the inaugural Living Legend Icon Award for Lauryn Hill and the first-ever Icon of the Year Award for Teyana Taylor, recognizing their lasting impact on music and culture.
-
That might be the real secret behind Jones' lasting more than a century.
Adjective
-
Research by Justin Mankin, a Dartmouth geography associate professor, found current forecasts imply the 2026-2027 El Niño could be the costliest yet.
-
Independent music critic Molly Mary O’Brien noted how the early-to-mid-’90s period that produced the original iteration of pop-punk fashion, and the current moment Rodrigo now operates within, are vastly different.
Cite this Entry
“Prevailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prevailing. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
