prevailed; prevailing; prevails
1
: to gain ascendancy through strength or superiority : triumph
2
: to be or become effective or effectual
3
: to use persuasion successfully
prevailed on him to sing
4
: to be frequent : predominate
the west winds that prevail in the mountains
5
: to be or continue in use or fashion : persist
a custom that still prevails
Examples of prevail in a Sentence
Mutual respect prevails among students and teachers here.
The house was built in the style that prevailed in the 1980s.
The law still prevails in some states.
Recent Examples on the Web
Brown is happy the game will be at CSUN instead of in the South Bay, where the previous two finals were played (at Cal State Dominguez Hills in 2023 and at Long Beach State last spring when Carson prevailed 1-0 in 14 innings despite Moorman’s 19 strikeouts).
—
Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025
The only question was whether someone else would beat him to it.
Somer prevailed.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 28 May 2025
Much of the prevailing dialogue about this weighty topic is based on speculation and lacks rigor and care in analysis.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
The Flames pushed the Ducks into extra innings in their first meeting, where the Ducks prevailed 3-2.
—Lauren Merola, New York Times, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for prevail
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Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025
The only question was whether someone else would beat him to it.
Somer prevailed.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 28 May 2025
Much of the prevailing dialogue about this weighty topic is based on speculation and lacks rigor and care in analysis.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
The Flames pushed the Ducks into extra innings in their first meeting, where the Ducks prevailed 3-2.
—Lauren Merola, New York Times, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for prevail
Cite this Entry
“Prevail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prevail. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prevail
verb
pre·vail
pri-ˈvā(ə)l 
1
: to win against opposition : be successful
our team prevailed
truth will prevail over error
believed injustice should not prevail
2
: to urge successfully
prevailed upon me to play a few tunes
3
a
: to be frequent
the storms that prevail there in winter
b
: to be or continue to be in use or fashion
lower rates prevail in the evening
customs that still prevail
Legal Definition
prevail
intransitive verb
pre·vail
pri-ˈvāl
1
: to obtain substantially the relief or action sought in a lawsuit
2
: to be frequent or predominant
the prevailing rate
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