trend 1 of 2

Definition of trendnext
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

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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

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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

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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
Larroudé, founded by Brazilian husband-and-wife duo Ricardo and Marina Larroudé, went viral for its trend-aware, sustainably made footwear shortly after getting off the ground in 2020. Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2025 This is the web version of CIO Intelligence, a weekly newsletter on the tech, trends, and news IT leaders need to know. John Kell, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. Melina Khan, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025 John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. John Tufts, Indianapolis Star, 5 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for trend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trend
Noun
  • Greenland was incorporated into Denmark in 1953, as a tide of decolonization swept the globe following World War II.
    Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026
  • More than a year after it was completed, the Smith Canal Gate was closed Monday because water levels rose to 8 feet, along with some other factors, including rising king tides and precipitation, according to Darren Suen, San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency executive director.
    Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The sneaker’s slim silhouette is incredibly on trend, as per the ongoing Adidas Samba and Puma Speedcat craze.
    Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
  • The kit targets those who subscribe to the matcha craze in more ritualistic ways than those simply ordering the aesthetic strawberry matcha lattes with cold foam tops.
    Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The treatment does not compromise tensile strength and tends to improve the material’s flexibility, according to researchers.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Viruses and bacteria tend not to thrive in warm environments.
    Erika Edwards, NBC news, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • So much of Brazil strains the imagination—the interminable skyline of São Paulo, the beaches of Rio curving between monoliths of granite, the aquamarine pools trapped between the undulating dunes of Lençóis Maranhenses.
    William O'Connor, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
  • But by the early 19th century, some mathematicians had started exploring other kinds of geometric spaces — ones that aren’t flat but rather curved like a sphere or saddle.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • At a moment of increasing niche-ification of the news media business, Axel Springer is running in the opposite direction.
    Max Tani, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Automation can go in either of these directions; that’s why the task of the left is to create social and cultural conditions in which the benign and constructive aspects of technology and automation are primary.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • These latests features are designed for enterprises who want to integrate their AI technology with either existing Salesforce data or even their own data.
    Gene Marks, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • 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
Verb
  • Russia has leaned heavily on its air power throughout its nearly four-year full-scale invasion of Ukraine, although Western observers have deemed its performance underwhelming; aircraft have often hammered Ukraine with destructive aerial attacks.
    Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2025
  • But that didn’t seem to affect Lola Young, Sombr or The Marias, three alt-rock-leaning acts who have had remarkably less trouble finding pop-world embrace, each of whom received BNA nominations.
    Eric Renner Brown, Billboard, 11 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The brewery’s ball pit is meant to be an incisive commentary on our generation’s tendency to enjoy the trappings of adulthood—such as consuming alcohol—without fully committing to the responsibilities that are supposed to come with them, such as parenthood.
    Eddie Small, New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2026
  • Trump’s economic management combines two theoretically incompatible tendencies.
    Gilad Edelman, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Trend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trend. Accessed 7 Jan. 2026.

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