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as in trend
a prevailing or general movement or inclination we'll be seeing a tendency for skirt lengths to get shorter this coming season

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word tendency different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of tendency are current, drift, tenor, and trend. While all these words mean "movement in a particular direction," tendency implies an inclination sometimes amounting to an impelling force.

a general tendency toward inflation

In what contexts can current take the place of tendency?

Although the words current and tendency have much in common, current implies a clearly defined but not necessarily unalterable course.

an encounter that changed the current of my life

When is it sensible to use drift instead of tendency?

In some situations, the words drift and tendency are roughly equivalent. However, 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

Where would tenor be a reasonable alternative to tendency?

The synonyms tenor and tendency are sometimes interchangeable, but tenor stresses a clearly perceptible direction and a continuous, undeviating course.

the tenor of the times

When can trend be used instead of tendency?

The words trend and tendency can be used in similar contexts, but trend applies to the general direction maintained by a winding or irregular course.

the long-term trend of the stock market is upward

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 tendency There’s the classic confirmation bias, which is the tendency to interpret new evidence as a confirmation of one’s existing beliefs. Matt Villano, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025 Waco and Ruby Ridge were on our minds, and the way that events like that have a tendency to spiral out of control. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2025 But Spider-Verse masterminds Lord and Miller, who produce and write the features, are known for their perfectionist tendencies and feel pressure to deliver something new with each of these films. Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 31 Mar. 2025 Helping this process out, according to the police reports, was the brothel operators’ tendency to save customers in the phone as their first name, their ethnicity and their year of birth. Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tendency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tendency
Noun
  • Even the chocolate bar’s spin-offs have turned into a trend.
    Claire Turrell, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Rivero’s arrest highlights a growing trend across the country of ICE arresting people who show up at its offices for check-ins or changes of address, according to multiple immigration attorneys.
    Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • To be sure, grounding our understanding of racial equality in reality will not be enough, but there are some inclinations of hope.
    Michael W. Kraus, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Jodie Turner-Smith proves again that her style inclinations are always on point.
    Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 25 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The best way to prevent type 2 diabetes is to shift toward a healthier lifestyle.
    Julia Ries, Health, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Credit to Mattice for stepping up but there's nobody at 130 pounds getting in my way.
    Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • These pilots possess expert knowledge of the specific port’s geography, tides, currents, weather patterns, traffic, and navigational hazards.
    David Nikel, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
  • There are a few things that we Southerners will never abandon, no matter which way the trending tide flows.
    Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • His and Hubbard's distinct approaches underscore the region’s aptitude for versatility.
    Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 24 Mar. 2025
  • According to the archaeologists, the transition from stone to bone was a feat of abstract thinking, requiring an aptitude in toolmaking and an appreciation that the knapping techniques that worked on one material would also work on another.
    Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 5 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The Realpolitik driving the Trump administration’s trade and tariff posturing is informed by a containment doctrine to mitigate the propensity for Chinese manufacturing and exports to undercut U.S. and North American heavy industry.
    Jason Schenker, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
  • The studies have also not factored in creatine’s propensity to cause water retention.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 20 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Focus on short-term gains instead of purpose and long-term goals so the lack of direction creates even more ambiguity.
    Csaba Toth, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
  • While the team has endured rough stretches this season, the Devils are trending in the right direction again.
    Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The combination of IoT and AI enables connected devices to collect, analyze and act on data in real-time.
    Rahul Saluja, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
  • Just in time for Christmas, certain members of Congress are hard at work in their policy shops, fashioning a massive lump of cybersecurity coal with which to gift American users of electronic devices.
    David Williams, National Review, 26 Dec. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Tendency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tendency. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.

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