trend 1 of 2

1
as in tide
a prevailing or general movement or inclination according to the survey, there's a growing trend for companies to run their own day-care centers for the benefit of employees

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2

trend

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to tend
to show a liking or proneness (for something) during the winter our school system trends toward canceling school at the drop of a hat—or at least a snowflake

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to curve
to turn away from a straight line or course the river trends east, then west again, forming an oxbow

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of trend are current, drift, tendency, and tenor. While all these words mean "movement in a particular direction," trend applies to the general direction maintained by a winding or irregular course.

the long-term trend of the stock market is upward

When can current be used instead of trend?

In some situations, the words current and trend are roughly equivalent. However, current implies a clearly defined but not necessarily unalterable course.

an encounter that changed the current of my life

When is drift a more appropriate choice than trend?

The synonyms drift and trend are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

When might tendency be a better fit than trend?

The words tendency and trend are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, tendency implies an inclination sometimes amounting to an impelling force.

a general tendency toward inflation

When is it sensible to use tenor instead of trend?

The meanings of tenor and trend largely overlap; however, tenor stresses a clearly perceptible direction and a continuous, undeviating course.

the tenor of the times

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 trend
Noun
That bucks a downward trend across Europe — industry groups on Monday reported significantly lower May sales for new Tesla vehicles in Spain, Portugal, Denmark and Sweden. Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 3 June 2025 The treatment involves microneedling the skin on a person’s face with the salmon sperm (which can be injected with hyaluronic acid according to Dr. Gabriel Chiu who spoke with Variety in September 2024 about the trend). Catherine Santino, People.com, 3 June 2025
Verb
President Trump’s approval rating has trended upward one month after poll aggregates at his 100-day mark painted a grim picture for his presidency’s second term. Jared Gans, The Hill, 31 May 2025 Jordan: When looking at who is trending upwards, Chastain is the name that immediately pops up. Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 31 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for trend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trend
Noun
  • Espinosa, who only assumed leadership of the Japanese automaker in April, faces an uphill battle to change the tide of Nissan's whittled down fortunes.
    Ruxandra Iordache,Sam Meredith, CNBC, 4 June 2025
  • But now, the sight of American airplanes over Manila signaled a shift in the tide of war.
    Jeff Langholz, Sun Sentinel, 25 May 2025
Noun
  • Overall, Chen perceives the chicken and veggie burger craze as one bite out of larger societal shifts.
    Perri Ormont Blumberg, FOXNews.com, 24 May 2025
  • Critics may have scoffed, but the movie, directed by Phil Karlson, was a hit with audiences caught up in the 1970s vigilante-film craze that included Death Wish, Dirty Harry and even Taxi Driver.
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 15 May 2025
Verb
  • Rainwater tends to stockpile on the edges of roads.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 14 June 2025
  • That unspoken skillset tends to get rewarded over actual results in some cultures.
    Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
Verb
  • Of course, Apple will have thought of this and curved the edges, for instance, to mitigate this.
    David Phelan, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
  • Halfway into the decade, the company's latest sustainability report released Thursday shows the software giant has a long way to go to meet that goal but may be starting to bend its emissions curve downward.
    Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
Noun
  • Holden praised Indicator, citing their focused direction and curation.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 June 2025
  • His regular-season numbers are astonishing, but so are his postseason stats… in the opposite direction.
    Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 7 June 2025
Noun
  • The latests deaths included three residents of long-term care facilities in Dallas, as well as a Balch Springs man in his 20s and a Dallas man in his 60s.
    Dana Branham, Dallas News, 30 Apr. 2020
  • That equates to more than 45 million Americans using CBD products, based on latest available U.S. Census estimates.
    Brendan Bures, chicagotribune.com, 2 Oct. 2019
Verb
  • Since then, the Sox’s social media has heavily leaned into the news about Pope Leo XIV, while fans soon began coming to games dressed as him.
    Sean Neumann, People.com, 12 June 2025
  • Butler, now in his 50s, leans into the role with just enough gruff sincerity to make Brodie feel like more than a stock hero.
    Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
Noun
  • That’s the tendency, when arriving at such milestones — to celebrate the past, and the distance traveled.
    Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
  • The heavy stacks of cash fit into a pattern emerging throughout the trial as prosecutors attempt to paint Combs as a man spoiled by success, able to hide a tendency for abuse and criminality through a large staff and an ever-larger fortune.
    Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 4 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Trend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trend. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on trend

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!