PREVAILING Synonyms: 141 Similar and Opposite Words

prevailing 1 of 2

adjective

as in conventional

accepted, used, or practiced by most people the principal disagrees with the prevailing attitude toward corporal punishment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in general

held by or applicable to a majority of the people the prevailing custom here is to leave one's doors unlocked

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

prevailing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of prevail

as in winning

to achieve victory (as in a contest) we shall prevail despite the overwhelming odds

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in surviving

to continue to operate or to meet one's needs a custom that still prevails in many areas of Africa

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 prevailing

Adjective

The group noted the projection was revised upward from an earlier estimate owing to an additional year in the budget window and higher prevailing interest rates. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026 Likewise, prevailing concepts of Hamlet at the time cast the prince as a wan and melancholic, leading critics to bristle at Bernhardt’s energy. — Betsy Golden Kellem, JSTOR Daily, 18 Mar. 2026 Harvesting seed nearby is a way to get plants that are genetically adapted to the prevailing environmental conditions and are more likely to thrive. — Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026 In the northern United States, enjoying the starry winter sky requires protection against the prevailing low temperatures. — Joe Rao, Space.com, 16 Jan. 2026 The monthly stochastic oscillator remains in overbought territory ( > 80%), underscoring the strength of the prevailing bullish trend rather than signaling exhaustion. — Katie Stockton, CNBC, 15 Dec. 2025 As municipal pools became mixed-gender in the 1920s and ’30s, swimming naked no longer fit prevailing notions of decency. — Jacob Beckert, The Atlantic, 13 Nov. 2025 Dissent is nothing more than the expression of an opinion that varies from the prevailing or traditional view or the position held by those in power. — Elizabeth Shackelford, Twin Cities, 26 Sep. 2025

Verb

Some also expect that the third-quarter earnings season will confirm that strong corporate fundamentals — not prevailing outside forces — will determine where stocks go next. — Sarah Min, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026 The prevailing memory from the game, though, will be Sullivan’s goal. — Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026 An American had never been pope, and the prevailing conventional wisdom was that one never would be elected. — Scott Detrow, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026 While the same anthropologists also emphasize that some hunter-gatherers are very unequal and that equality takes deliberate effort, the prevailing impression is that equality characterizes hunter-gatherers, past and present. — Christopher Von Rueden, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2026 For years, the prevailing assumption across the industry was that MLB would be more reluctant than leagues like the NFL to move playoff games behind a streaming paywall. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026 After two months, unless cancelled at any time, DirecTV’s Movies Extra Pack + Peacock will renew monthly at the then-prevailing rate. — Erin Lassner, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2026 If the pope continues to challenge prevailing political and economic orthodoxies, some of that support may again prove contingent. — Colleen Dulle, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026 When he was hired in January, the prevailing thought was that the cerebral partnership between McDaniel and Herbert would prove a perfect match. — Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for prevailing

Adjective

Aside from its visual distinctiveness, red diesel shares an identical chemical composition with conventional highway diesel.

— , CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
The capability needed to run AI at studio level will not be found solely within the conventional media and entertainment system.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of conventional

Adjective

Officials have also decided on a general application screening and approval process, including what types of background checks will be necessary and which government agencies should be involved.

— Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Davide Sgariboldi, general manager at Euroitalia, said that causes excitement.

— Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of general

Verb

Initially, 18 full-size models were built during an internal competition called Project Renaissance, from which the winning design was selected.

— Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 7 Oct. 2026
From Big Talk Studios, the International Emmy Award-winning detective drama, starring David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Martin, follows a genius puzzle setter navigating life as a police consultant.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of winning

Verb

Christa Pike was unconscious, intubated and on a ventilator in a Nashville hospital as of Thursday evening, a day after surviving a botched execution attempt, her lawyers said in a court filing.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
On Thursday, the US Space Force said that the final two surviving Defense Support Program satellites (presumably DSP-20 and DSP-22) participated in an on-orbit maneuvering exercise in early September.

— Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of surviving

Verb

The first five conditions describe any lasting affectionate bond, such as a close friendship.

— Pascal Vrticka, Scientific American, 4 Oct. 2026
In a room, the large array lowered humidity from 38 to 32 percent in 15 minutes, though that is only an early result, not proof of lasting capacity.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of lasting

Adjective

That costs additional money—both London teams this past week set up headquarters for fans, with current and former players participating in events throughout the lead-up to the game—and also provides some additional income.

— Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 4 Oct. 2026
Swift appears as a spectral figure trying to warn Johnson that, based on her own experience, her rich husband has more sinister intentions than his current bride imagines.

— Chris Willman, Variety, 4 Oct. 2026