as in obligation
something one must do because of prior agreement
few incumbencies of her office are as distasteful to the college president as fund-raising, of which there seems to be no end
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Recent Examples of incumbency
Republicans will not have the advantage of incumbency in the next presidential contest; the Constitution bars President Donald Trump from seeking a third term.
—
Steve Peoples, Twin Cities, 14 July 2025
Together, these cases underscore a growing legal recognition that platform power, when abused to entrench incumbency and exclude competition, is not only harmful but actionable.
—Seth Joseph, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
But Baker, in his first run for governor, was defeated by Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick —and the power of incumbency — in 2010.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 5 June 2025
At the ceremony, former House Speaker Chris Donovan, D-Meriden, said legislators overcame an initial wariness about taking away a major advantage of incumbency: The ability to raise money in Hartford, often relying on lobbyists to facilitate contributions from clients.
—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for incumbency
Steve Peoples, Twin Cities, 14 July 2025
Together, these cases underscore a growing legal recognition that platform power, when abused to entrench incumbency and exclude competition, is not only harmful but actionable.
—Seth Joseph, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
But Baker, in his first run for governor, was defeated by Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick —and the power of incumbency — in 2010.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 5 June 2025
At the ceremony, former House Speaker Chris Donovan, D-Meriden, said legislators overcame an initial wariness about taking away a major advantage of incumbency: The ability to raise money in Hartford, often relying on lobbyists to facilitate contributions from clients.
—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for incumbency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incumbency
Noun
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People of all ages can be at risk of sitting too much and not getting enough movement due to school, work, home, and other obligations.—
Heidi Moawad,
Verywell Health,
23 Aug. 2025
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For instance, the budget eliminates payments to reduce the state’s ever-growing unfunded obligations for retiree health care which reached $91.5 billion, up $6.3 billion from a year earlier, Controller Malia Cohen recently revealed.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Following weeks of escalating tensions, Beijing and Washington agreed in May to suspend the hefty duties and loosen several punitive measures imposed in April, as both sides continued to work on hammering out a durable deal.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
21 Aug. 2025
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There are examples of when the lines between official duties and personal time are blurred, Terr said.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Injecting any amount of mercury into children when safe, mercury-free alternatives exist defies common sense and public health responsibility.—
Kristen Jordan Shamus,
Freep.com,
23 Aug. 2025
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Under its mandate issued by the Security Council, it is not empowered to enforce peace: The responsibility for implementing the resolution, and achieving lasting security and stability, lies squarely with the parties themselves.—
Jean-Pierre Lacroix,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Madisonville headquarters will see three new additions: a nine-story office building, a new Clinical Pharmacology Unit (CPU) and a six-story parking garage.—
Kaycee Sloan,
The Enquirer,
23 Aug. 2025
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The 303-foot hotel would have 250 rooms, shops and offices, a swimming pool, 118 car parking spaces and 12 bicycle parking spaces according to planning documents.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Instead, a spokesperson for the department instead stressed the need for stability in the West Bank.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
14 Aug. 2025
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The need for an athletic midfielder and perhaps a reliable goalkeeper remains but this now feels like a squad with enough depth for a no-European-games campaign.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Industry’s Middle Game Despite the promise, adoption is uneven.—
Rocio Wu,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
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In the case of Hostage, the potential stems from the tantalizing prospect of watching stars Suranne Jones (Gentleman Jack) and Julie Delpy (the Before trilogy) in an acting power struggle — a promise that isn’t quite an empty tease, but never gets delivered upon fully.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Incumbency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incumbency. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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