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
Toeing the line between a balloon, barrel, and cargo style, the Old Navy Utility Pants are a masterclass in merging trends. Irene Richardson, InStyle, 8 July 2026 There’s no torque vectoring or front-axle assistance here, a pushback on hi-tech trends and a decision designed to give the car the purest possible feel. Jason Barlow, Robb Report, 7 July 2026
Verb
Take the look even further by pairing it with trending tones and techniques, like sheer jelly bases or watercolor renditions of your go-to berry. Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 3 July 2026 The stock never reached overbought levels and its RSI continues to trend higher. Jay Woods, CNBC, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for trend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trend
Noun
  • The gore comes like a tide, shockingly for a mainstream studio wide release.
    Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • Oceanfront has long been treated as the aristocrat of waterfront living, prized for its horizon lines, lull of the tide and powerful symbolism of standing where land gives way.
    Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Noun
  • The famous question Fermi asked many years ago in the wake of the UFO craze and the Roswell incident and all of these sightings of flying saucers.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 9 July 2026
  • Swig, the originator of the dirty soda craze, has signed a 13-unit development deal with a local franchisee to open the drive-thru-centric soda shops in locations that will include Naperville, Crest Hill, Romeoville and Bolingbrook.
    Rick West, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
Verb
  • While research around sports and brain impacts has tended to focus on American football, soccer players may be at risk as well.
    Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 12 July 2026
  • Outbreaks tend to occur most often in the late spring and summer.
    Mike Stobbe, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
Verb
  • Long before curved, sculptural homes became a fixture of luxury real estate, French architect Claude Misbach was experimenting with the idea on the Mediterranean coast.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 9 July 2026
  • The bigger the mass and the closer to that mass the light passes, the more its path is curved.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 6 July 2026
Noun
  • Other research pointed in the same direction, and by 2008, Falk and other exercise physiologists were arguing against the status-quo assumption that kids had some major natural deficits in thermoregulation.
    Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 11 July 2026
  • Their brains combine the latest cues with all that previous experience to estimate the likely speed, direction and spin of the serve—before the ball has even crossed the net.
    Michelle Spear, Scientific American, 11 July 2026
Noun
  • The latests stats mean AI music has exploded by 650% in 16 months.
    James Peckham, PC Magazine, 20 Apr. 2026
  • The latests forecasts show a new round of storm systems will increase rain chances across much of Northern California and the Central Valley in the coming days.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 9 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • So after years of working as a television producer, Saleh left broadcast journalism and leaned into her creative spirit.
    Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • The effort is directed by Chad Maisel, a former adviser to President Joseph Biden and Senator Cory Booker, who’s now a senior fellow at left-leaning think tank Center for American Progress.
    Simone Foxman, Fortune, 8 July 2026
Noun
  • His tendency to strike out was a weakness dating to his high school days in North Texas.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2026
  • Short for adversarial hallucination squatting, HalluSquatting is built on an LLM’s inherent tendency to hallucinate the resource identifiers hosted in repositories and registries.
    Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 8 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Trend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trend. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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