1
as in ways
an established pattern of behavior
a tendency to drop things a tendency to make snap judgments
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in trends
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
3
as in inclinations
a habitual attraction to some activity or thing
a youth with a natural tendency toward arts and crafts instead of sports
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tendencies
Rácz has been interpreted as a foil to Vladimír Mečiar, a real-life politician who served as Slovakia’s prime minister between 1990 and 1998 and was heavily criticized for his autocratic tendencies, strongman persona, and ties to organized crime.
—
Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026
All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
Below, Culpo shares her must-pack comforts, her Type A travel tendencies, and why a good piece of luggage is the ultimate indulgence.
—Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 29 Apr. 2026
Many other traditionalists have made a version of Scruton’s critique, insisting that contemporary art reflects self-indulgent, relativistic, and impious tendencies.
—Luis Parrales, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
There are still times Stokes reverts back to his worst tendencies on the basketball court.
—Lindsay Schnell, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
The slimdown of staff continues a trend in the tech sector, which long had been known for its largesse and expansionist tendencies as many traditional businesses headed in the opposite direction.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2026
In 2024, Julie Aitken Schermer, a psychology professor at the University of Western Ontario in Canada, published a paper that showed drivers who modified their exhaust systems to be louder were more likely to have psychopathic and sadist tendencies.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 2026
Knowing people’s tendencies, offensive rebounding, defensive rebounding.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 19 Apr. 2026
Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026
All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
Below, Culpo shares her must-pack comforts, her Type A travel tendencies, and why a good piece of luggage is the ultimate indulgence.
—Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 29 Apr. 2026
Many other traditionalists have made a version of Scruton’s critique, insisting that contemporary art reflects self-indulgent, relativistic, and impious tendencies.
—Luis Parrales, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
There are still times Stokes reverts back to his worst tendencies on the basketball court.
—Lindsay Schnell, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
The slimdown of staff continues a trend in the tech sector, which long had been known for its largesse and expansionist tendencies as many traditional businesses headed in the opposite direction.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2026
In 2024, Julie Aitken Schermer, a psychology professor at the University of Western Ontario in Canada, published a paper that showed drivers who modified their exhaust systems to be louder were more likely to have psychopathic and sadist tendencies.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 2026
Knowing people’s tendencies, offensive rebounding, defensive rebounding.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 19 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tendencies
Noun
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There are ways of using social media as just a private photo album or a diary, but it is designed to be public and for content to spread beyond its context.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Subway has launched a new value menu with more than 15 entrees under $5, offering more protein-forward meals at a time when cost-conscious customers are craving ways to get the most bang for their buck.—
Kelly McCarthy,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Welcome back to The Athletic’s title-race tracker, where our data and tactics writers analyse the key trends behind the two-horse race for the Premier League crown between Arsenal and Manchester City.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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Sign up for our weekly newsletter that goes beyond the livestream, offering a closer look at the trends and figures shaping the ETF market.—
Krysta Escobar,
CNBC,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Who knew that such daring would lead to a film that avoids these inclinations entirely, especially one that could have so easily leaned into controversial territory?—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Samuel Alito’s inclinations have not been hard to discern lately.—
Peter S. Canellos,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Timing your visit around the tides gives you two completely different — and equally memorable — experiences.—
Lauren Schuster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Because of this, the incoming and outgoing tides can be extremely powerful.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This model reflects Japan’s long-standing corporate culture, which prioritizes new hires for their general potential—their aptitudes and aspirations, as opposed to their current skill sets or university majors—and then trains them on the job.—
GRACIA LIU-FARRER,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Nov. 2025
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More money is apt to make homeschooling worse and far less tailored to the individual student and their interests and aptitudes by encouraging parents to substitute pricey group programs for the requisite effort of individualized instruction.—
Marie Sapirie,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Staff were stationed throughout, giving runners directions, passing out water and cheering us on.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Regular service on the Tehran–Moscow route will operate on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays in both directions, IRNA reported, citing officials with Mahan Air.—
Mustafa Qadri,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Its formal and ontological affinities with dysfunction, fragmentation, and violence would seem to render that debt proverbial to the point of cliché.—
Ara H. Merjian,
ARTnews.com,
16 Apr. 2026
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Today, costly and time-consuming coachbuilding acts as a mirror for the owner’s personal style and affinities, all the while displaying the status of having formed such a close connection with a brand that you’re invited to commission something singular.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Because at its core, this legal drama that revolves around artificial intelligence is actually rooted in the very human impulses of kinship, greed, betrayal, and power.—
Tom Dotan,
Vanity Fair,
27 Apr. 2026
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Bell, whose screen roles have long radiated decency and sensitivity, channels that guilelessness once more, only to expose it as yet another façade that helps Niall to conceal his darker impulses.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tendencies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tendencies. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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