as in persuades
to cause (someone) to agree with a belief or course of action by using arguments or earnest requests
we prevailed on him to sing in front of all his friends
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prevails (on or upon)
Verb
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Carlo’s friend Rodrigo persuades him to take up the Flemish cause with Philip, leading to a sword-threatening confrontation.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Feb. 2026 -
This leads us to another revelation of decoherence theory, the one that persuades me that Zurek’s theory now tells a complete story.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Henry’s wife Yasmin (Marisa Abela) ultimately convinces Hayley to accuse Dycker of assault, discrediting his story about Tender, and weaponizing #MeToo-era politics.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Javier Bardem plays Ruben, the boss of an underdog racing team who convinces Sonny to return to the sport to partner with and mentor rookie driver Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris).—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And Winnipeg must be able to provide the asset quality that satisfies the selling team.—
Murat Ates,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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The result is a cycle that satisfies legal definitions of accountability while leaving unresolved questions about whether training, culture and policy are doing enough to change outcomes.—
Stephen Martin,
Oklahoma Watch,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Oh, there’s also Queenie’s frenemy Kate (Adrienne Warren), who brings along a hunky plus-one with a roving eye (Jelani Alladin).—
Dan Stahl,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
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ThirdLove, meanwhile, brings some of its signature comfort to this lightweight lace bralette, which pairs a soft, stretchy base with a subtle leaf pattern that blends nicely against skin.—
Malia Griggs,
Glamour,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The top two candidates in the June 2 primary will move on to a November runoff — even if the top finisher in June gets more than 50% of the vote.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
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However the filmmakers entirely forget about his story until the end title cards, where the audience gets an update on his whereabouts.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The month of December typically brings around 2 to 3 inches of rain to the region, on average, records show.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
23 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Prevails (on or upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prevails%20%28on%20or%20upon%29. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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