1
as in series
a series of things, people, events, or actions arranged or happening one after another
He experienced a succession of car repairs that set him back thousands of dollars.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
2
as in descent
the order of people in a family
The prince is third in the line of succession to the throne.
Related Words
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 succession
Under the current line of royal succession, Charles’s son, Prince William, is heir to the throne, and his three children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis — are next.
—
Christine Valora, The Washington Examiner, 9 Mar. 2026
Experts interviewed by the Associated Press, citing satellite image analysis, say the school was probably struck amid a quick succession of bombs dropped on the compound.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
In this powerful world of movers and shakers, education is viewed as an essential component of succession planning.
—Maria Williams, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
The son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an airstrike when the war began, represents the Islamic Republic’s first hereditary succession.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for succession
Christine Valora, The Washington Examiner, 9 Mar. 2026
Experts interviewed by the Associated Press, citing satellite image analysis, say the school was probably struck amid a quick succession of bombs dropped on the compound.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
In this powerful world of movers and shakers, education is viewed as an essential component of succession planning.
—Maria Williams, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
The son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an airstrike when the war began, represents the Islamic Republic’s first hereditary succession.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for succession
Recent Examples of Synonyms for succession
Noun
-
Having moved from web videos to a TV series and now a feature film, the group seems to be running the gamut of possibilities for the contemporary comedy scene.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Come October, Fox has the NLDS and NLCS playoff series, plus the Fall Classic itself.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Those of Iranian descent number more than 700,000 in Southern California, the largest single population outside Iran.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Many of the marchers are of Mexican or Hispanic descent, so the treatment and mass deportation of undocumented immigrants greatly concerns them.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
A little lighting can also go a long way toward adding ambience and safety after dark, from a stylish wall lantern (now 87% off) to shatterproof LED string lights that don’t require a plug-in.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Then-current neoclassicism is evident in bright scorings — for double winds and brass, strings and timpani — and patches of contrapuntal business.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Comparative studies show that an appendix-like structure evolved independently in at least three distinct lineages of mammals – marsupials, primates and glires, a group that includes rodents and rabbits.—
Lilia Goncharova,
The Conversation,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Perhaps Little Foot’s lineage was more closely related to East African hominins, while South African hominins evolved distinct facial features later on, the authors wrote in the study.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
For each of the men, the character gives a zodiac sign and a birth month.—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
-
In 2023, Collier had recently given birth to her daughter, and being away from her family for long stretches — including holidays — got old fast.—
J.J. Bailey,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
His second album, Baby—a meditation on heredity, shredded and reconstituted in a $10 DJ program—was released to rapturous acclaim in August.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
8 Dec. 2025
-
To truly understand genes and heredity, researchers had to learn to read the DNA code.—
Nell Greenfieldboyce,
NPR,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Chinese relations with the Islamic Republic accelerated in 2021 with the signing of their 25-year Cooperation Program, which escalated the level of economic and defense cooperation between the countries.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Mar. 2026
-
For many riders, the views of the changing landscapes are the highlight, says Jason Abrams, senior pubic relations manager at Amtrak.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Succession.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/succession. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
