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
Projecting the price tags for the current free agency class for Bleacher Report, Joel Reuter predicted the Red Sox would ultimately prevail by landing Soto on a 15-year, $675 million deal -- and that things could wrap up in the near future.
—
Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024
The Eagles twice had the ball in the final seconds with a chance to take the lead before the Comets finally prevailed 74-72.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024
But Depp prevailed in a 2022 defamation case against the actress and has been on the comeback trail.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 4 Dec. 2024
My estimate is based on a proprietary Vanguard fair-valuation measure that puts stock prices in the context of a decade’s worth of corporate earnings, as well as the prevailing levels of interest rates and inflation.
—Joseph H. Davis, Fortune, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prevail 
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Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024
The Eagles twice had the ball in the final seconds with a chance to take the lead before the Comets finally prevailed 74-72.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024
But Depp prevailed in a 2022 defamation case against the actress and has been on the comeback trail.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 4 Dec. 2024
My estimate is based on a proprietary Vanguard fair-valuation measure that puts stock prices in the context of a decade’s worth of corporate earnings, as well as the prevailing levels of interest rates and inflation.
—Joseph H. Davis, Fortune, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prevail
Dictionary Entries Near prevail
Cite this Entry
“Prevail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prevail. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
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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