1
as in to win
to achieve victory (as in a contest)
we shall prevail despite the overwhelming odds
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to survive
to continue to operate or to meet one's needs
a custom that still prevails in many areas of Africa
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 prevail
The film winners prevailed in the categories of sci-fi/fantasy, period, and contemporary, respectively.
—
Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 6 Feb. 2025
But Virginia McCaskey reportedly prevailed in having the group abolished when its contract expired after the 1985 season.
—Tim Bannon, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2025
Court records showed the district court dismissed the case finding that Jogan Health failed to demonstrate a reasonable likelihood of prevailing at trial.
—Jessica Alvarado Gamez, The Denver Post, 5 Feb. 2025
So, federal courts can order specific USAID grants, and specific DEI projects funded in the budget, to proceed; but when projects in that pipeline are exhausted, Trump will prevail.
—Tom Campbell, Orange County Register, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for prevail 
Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 6 Feb. 2025
But Virginia McCaskey reportedly prevailed in having the group abolished when its contract expired after the 1985 season.
—Tim Bannon, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2025
Court records showed the district court dismissed the case finding that Jogan Health failed to demonstrate a reasonable likelihood of prevailing at trial.
—Jessica Alvarado Gamez, The Denver Post, 5 Feb. 2025
So, federal courts can order specific USAID grants, and specific DEI projects funded in the budget, to proceed; but when projects in that pipeline are exhausted, Trump will prevail.
—Tom Campbell, Orange County Register, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for prevail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prevail
Verb
-
The Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art have agreed to loan one of their masterworks to whichever city wins.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
7 Feb. 2025
-
Hill-Murray is the defending girls state champion, while Minnetonka won the boys crown last year.—
Tom Schardin,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
In addition to his wife, he is survived by nieces Claire and Paula.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
9 Feb. 2025
-
Any nuclear thermal propulsion fuel aboard a spacecraft would have to be able to survive extreme temperatures and exposure to hot hydrogen gas.—
Julian Dossett,
Space.com,
9 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The outlet also noted that the plane is about 16 years old, but aircrafts in its model typically last two to three decades.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
18 Feb. 2025
-
Its success has also brought optimism to China’s tech sector, which is still recovering after a severe regulatory crackdown lasting more than three years.—
John Liu,
CNN,
17 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near prevail
Cite this Entry
“Prevail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prevail. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share