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
The September jobs report would ordinarily help shed light on whether those trends continued into early fall. Scott Horsley, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025 If the nocturnal travel trend sounds intriguing, October is a great time to try it. Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
So while Domi’s stock is trending upwards for now, the first few games of the regular season could lead to a change. Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025 John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. John Tufts, IndyStar, 2 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for trend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trend
Noun
  • Long before the clock almost expired on the Packers, there was yet another special teams blunder that turned the tide on a game seemingly destined for a blowout.
    Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Rather than fighting this inevitable tide, Köhler closely examines the subject without didacticism, filtering it through a passive-aggressive relationship drama, until only its most potent ingredients remain.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 28 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Two months before Twilight kicked off the glittery vampire craze, Alan Ball’s True Blood had already put an original, sexy spin on the jugular-draining genre.
    Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Oct. 2025
  • The low-fat craze of the '80s and '90s left sales of similar deli meats like bologna dropping year after year, according to the blog Food Republic.
    Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Voters also tend to lean more nationalist and conservative during economic downturns, said Hajime Kidera, a professor at Meiji University’s School of Political Science and Economics – which is one reason Abe was so popular during the post-recession early 2010s.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Healthy, stress-free trees that are consistently watered throughout the year tend to display better fall color.
    Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Here the set becomes a comedy generator, a set of curving sides that Reeves can lean against and slide bonelessly down.
    Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Roll up each triangle, starting at wide end, and curve edges slightly to form a crescent shape.
    Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • With both teams aiming to avoid a 1–3 start, this game presents an opportunity for one to gain momentum and establish a positive direction for the rest of the season.
    Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Don’t pull over in the roundabout Roundabouts with a single lane of traffic in each direction are fairly simple – yield to traffic in the roundabout, wait for a gap in traffic and go through, Bryson said.
    Eric D. Lawrence, USA Today, 28 Sep. 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
  • DeSantis signed a bill earlier this year that prevents local governments from blocking the development of a presidential library, aiming to block potential political opposition from liberal-leaning counties or municipalities.
    Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Democrats and independents leaned toward compromise, while Republicans leaned toward standing on principle.
    Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • One of the issues Bayandir had had this season is his tendency to not parry the ball to the sides.
    Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
  • However, leaders can have a tendency to try to optimize inefficient processes with shiny new tech instead of questioning their existence.
    Mike Hoffman, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Trend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trend. Accessed 6 Oct. 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!