1
as in series
a series of things, people, events, or actions arranged or happening one after another
He experienced a succession of car repairs that set him back thousands of dollars.
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2
as in descent
the order of people in a family
The prince is third in the line of succession to the throne.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of succession
For Kenya, Sawe's victory feels like succession.
—
Emmanuel Igunza, NPR, 27 Apr. 2026
In other words, much of the presidential line of succession was in the same spot—and subject to the same vulnerabilities.
—Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Princess Catharina-Amalia is the heir to the Dutch throne and followed in the line of succession by her younger sisters, Princess Alexia and Princess Amalia.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
The president, the vice president, the speaker of the House, the presidential line of succession, all in the same room, surrounded by hundreds more members of Congress, cabinet secretaries, the Washington press corps.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for succession
Emmanuel Igunza, NPR, 27 Apr. 2026
In other words, much of the presidential line of succession was in the same spot—and subject to the same vulnerabilities.
—Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Princess Catharina-Amalia is the heir to the Dutch throne and followed in the line of succession by her younger sisters, Princess Alexia and Princess Amalia.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
The president, the vice president, the speaker of the House, the presidential line of succession, all in the same room, surrounded by hundreds more members of Congress, cabinet secretaries, the Washington press corps.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for succession
Recent Examples of Synonyms for succession
Noun
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Only two conference series against Morris and LaSalle-Peru remain before the regular season wraps up on May 26.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
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Marlins beat Dodgers, shut down expensive LA offense This series seemed to line up perfectly for the Dodgers.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Just as significantly, the group broke down racial barriers in the 1960s, when the sight of three young women of Puerto Rican and Black descent singing pop music on television and opening concerts for the Beatles was a rarity.—
Chris Morris,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
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Gonzalez is of Cuban descent, bald, with a brown beard and mustache.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In addition to the full bathroom with a shower, there’s also an alfresco soak tub outside overhung with string lights.—
Erika Owen,
Architectural Digest,
1 May 2026
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Moore, in my mind, is closer to a third-string guy along the interior defensive line.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
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The lineage begins well before him.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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Shaped by our lineage, our hair is undeniably beautiful.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Her winning photo shows a young woman who gave birth the previous day.—
Kamala Thiagarajan,
NPR,
26 Apr. 2026
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Before anybody could analyze what had happened, Ferdinand, carrying a jockey who probably never weighed 100 pounds in his career — thanks to the birth advantage Downey so aptly pointed out years later — was cruising past the leaders and sailing home a winner.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Political figures within Iran criticized the idea of handing over the supreme leader’s title based on heredity and thereby creating a clerical version of the rule of the shah, who was toppled during the 1979 Islamic Revolution.—
Jon Gambrell,
Fortune,
9 Mar. 2026
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These two features have led to the suggestion that early life was protein-free, with RNA handling both heredity and catalyzing a simple metabolism.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But, of course, thousands of American companies had trade and relations with China.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
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Armenia has enjoyed warm relations with Iran in recent years, with Tehran backing Armenia to counterbalance Jerusalem’s backing of Azerbaijan.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Succession.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/succession. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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