1
as in ways
an established pattern of behavior
a tendency to drop things a tendency to make snap judgments
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in trends
a prevailing or general movement or inclination
we'll be seeing a tendency for skirt lengths to get shorter this coming season
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in inclinations
a habitual attraction to some activity or thing
a youth with a natural tendency toward arts and crafts instead of sports
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tendencies
But over time, these tendencies have taken their toll.
—
Charles Trepany, USA Today, 14 May 2026
The movie only hints at the underlying social tendencies that a populist exploits.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 13 May 2026
California’s dog bite statute creates strict liability for dog owners regardless of prior knowledge of the animal’s dangerous tendencies.
—Anton Lucanus
may 7, Sacbee.com, 7 May 2026
To do that, Carolina needs to play its style and know its opponents’ tendencies.
—Cory Lavalette, New York Times, 7 May 2026
Americans of all political tendencies increasingly favor sweeping, disorienting political change.
—Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 7 May 2026
With the Jax-sized hole in the cast, the narcissistic tendencies in the other men become more glaring, showing how covert mistreatment can slowly chip away at a relationship.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 7 May 2026
Psychologists have tried to communicate nuance; these terms are only meant to express tendencies, which fall along a spectrum and can change over time, or between relationships.
—Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 1 May 2026
Below, Culpo shares her must-pack comforts, her Type A travel tendencies, and why a good piece of luggage is the ultimate indulgence.
—Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 29 Apr. 2026
Charles Trepany, USA Today, 14 May 2026
The movie only hints at the underlying social tendencies that a populist exploits.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 13 May 2026
California’s dog bite statute creates strict liability for dog owners regardless of prior knowledge of the animal’s dangerous tendencies.
—Anton Lucanus
may 7, Sacbee.com, 7 May 2026
To do that, Carolina needs to play its style and know its opponents’ tendencies.
—Cory Lavalette, New York Times, 7 May 2026
Americans of all political tendencies increasingly favor sweeping, disorienting political change.
—Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 7 May 2026
With the Jax-sized hole in the cast, the narcissistic tendencies in the other men become more glaring, showing how covert mistreatment can slowly chip away at a relationship.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 7 May 2026
Psychologists have tried to communicate nuance; these terms are only meant to express tendencies, which fall along a spectrum and can change over time, or between relationships.
—Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 1 May 2026
Below, Culpo shares her must-pack comforts, her Type A travel tendencies, and why a good piece of luggage is the ultimate indulgence.
—Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 29 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tendencies
Noun
-
Announced Tuesday, the Mavericks and Kidd mutually agreed to part ways, ending a coaching tenure that began in 2021 and concluded with an even 205-205 regular-season record.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
20 May 2026
-
The ways of the whites puzzled the Indians.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Analysts and journalists have used aggregate EEO-1 data to conduct research and provide insights into workforce trends across job categories, industries and regions.—
Michelle Travis,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
-
Public safety dominated the exchange, with sharp disagreements over crime trends, law enforcement authority and the role sheriffs should play in statewide policy.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The ability to create offense individually, put pressure on the rim and set up stationary shooters — as much as such violates Kerr’s inclinations — have become necessary to beat good modern defenses.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
10 May 2026
-
Who knew that such daring would lead to a film that avoids these inclinations entirely, especially one that could have so easily leaned into controversial territory?—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Senators have held on in elections amid their states' shifting political tides in the past, but usually their luck eventually runs out — as evidenced by the ouster of former Democratic Sens.—
Garrett Downs,
CNBC,
15 May 2026
-
The calm waters and dramatic high and low tides are perfect for beach lovers of all ages.—
Jacqueline Dole,
Travel + Leisure,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
For this class, the premise is that your purpose in life lies to the intersection of your values, your aptitudes and your interests.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
-
This model reflects Japan’s long-standing corporate culture, which prioritizes new hires for their general potential—their aptitudes and aspirations, as opposed to their current skill sets or university majors—and then trains them on the job.—
GRACIA LIU-FARRER,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Striping, an optical illusion, comes from the color differences of grass blades bending in opposite directions.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 May 2026
-
Ramsbottom was at his desk when the drone smashed through the workspace's tin ceiling, spraying shrapnel in all directions, and lodging a chunk of glass in the back of his head.—
Michael Kaplan,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
While tons of beauty professionals have ties, affinities, and contractual obligations with designer brands, many swear by drugstore or equally accessible products to get their clients star-worthy outcomes.—
Gina Vaynshteyn,
StyleCaster,
11 May 2026
-
Its formal and ontological affinities with dysfunction, fragmentation, and violence would seem to render that debt proverbial to the point of cliché.—
Ara H. Merjian,
ARTnews.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Writers who used to hide their masculinist impulses behind a pen name now write and say outrageous things under their real name.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
-
Amid the early-spring lightness of the filmmaking, Fukada values softly plainspoken earnestness of emotion, as his repressed, recessive characters learn to listen to their own impulses in the general stillness that surrounds them.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tendencies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tendencies. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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