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as in trend
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

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word tendency different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of tendency are current, drift, tenor, and trend. While all these words mean "movement in a particular direction," tendency implies an inclination sometimes amounting to an impelling force.

a general tendency toward inflation

In what contexts can current take the place of tendency?

Although the words current and tendency have much in common, current implies a clearly defined but not necessarily unalterable course.

an encounter that changed the current of my life

When is it sensible to use drift instead of tendency?

In some situations, the words drift and tendency are roughly equivalent. However, drift may apply to a tendency determined by external forces, or it may apply to an underlying or obscure trend of meaning or discourse.

the drift of the population away from large cities
got the drift of her argument

Where would tenor be a reasonable alternative to tendency?

The synonyms tenor and tendency are sometimes interchangeable, but tenor stresses a clearly perceptible direction and a continuous, undeviating course.

the tenor of the times

When can trend be used instead of tendency?

The words trend and tendency can be used in similar contexts, but trend applies to the general direction maintained by a winding or irregular course.

the long-term trend of the stock market is upward

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 tendency With Mohammed Kudus being a ball-to-feet winger who beats defenders and crosses dangerous balls into the box, Johnson’s tendency to move off the ball and attack the far post has and will lead to goals this season. Elias Burke, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025 Does the couch have a tendency to sag or do the cushions feel lumpy? Melissa Maria, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 2025 There’s a new tendency [to have] shock value in movies, but no real journey. Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2025 But once positive interactions enter the chat history, the model can't move away from them unless users start fresh—meaning sycophantic tendencies could still amplify over long conversations. ArsTechnica, 25 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tendency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tendency
Noun
  • Both Max’s debut LP, Heaven & Hell, and her sophomore album, Diamonds and Dancefloors, were pushed back for release because of leaks, and Max has addressed her music’s proneness to making its way online before release in the past.
    Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Josh Blackman, a law professor at South Texas College of Law, said the trend is notable because many cases involve on-camera evidence that should be easily provable in a court of law.
    Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Another key implication lies in the de-dollarization trend driven by Russian alignment with China.
    Earl Carr, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Kinloch noted the Legislature has shown no inclination to advance bills that create arena taxes.
    Malachi Barrett, Freep.com, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Vesting oversight primarily in defense departments and ministries is a traditional inclination.
    GARY ROUGHEAD, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Things seemed to be going Sporting KC’s way in the first half of a Sunday night matchup with fellow Western Conference playoff hopeful Austin FC.
    Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Some of these technologies are essential for ensuring the proper functioning of the service or website and cannot be disabled, while others are optional but serve to enhance the user experience in various ways.
    Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • There is a world in which the actress once known as America’s sweetheart can turn the tide her way, with voters nominating her for Best Actress as a vote of confidence toward her purposefully polarizing character.
    Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 29 Aug. 2025
  • That series, which is being repped internationally by Beta Film, tells the story of the real-life Hungarian army commander Janos Hunyadi, who turned back the tide of the Ottoman Empire’s seemingly unstoppable advance into Europe at the Battle of Belgrade in 1456.
    Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Herbert’s top-10 aptitude would’ve exposed Olave to fewer dangerous hits.
    Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2025
  • This leads him to discover an unexpected aptitude for cracking safes, turning his life upside down.
    Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Natural light and palm trees cover the space, despite the Midwest’s propensity for freezing winters.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Tropical cyclones have a greater propensity to rapidly intensify as the planet warms, studies have shown, which could imperil coastal populations that might have prepared for a tropical storm but suddenly face a menacing major hurricane.
    Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Mother Monster took home the artist of the year award, best collaboration, best direction, and best art direction at the MTV Video Music Awards, which took place at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York.
    Clare Fisher, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Once the band reaches your chest, slowly reverse the direction, keeping your elbows straight.
    Jakob Roze, Health, 8 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Tendency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tendency. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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