The expression "prevail in the match" means to be victorious or successful in a specific match, game, or contest. It suggests overcoming challenges and opposition to achieve a winning outcome.
The meaning is largely compositional, as "prevail" generally means to prove more powerful than opposing forces, and "the match" refers to a specific competition. However, the collocation has a slightly more formal and emphatic tone than simply saying someone "wins the match."
The register is generally formal to neutral. While you might hear it in everyday conversation, it's more common in news reports, sports commentary, and formal writing.
The grammatical pattern is verb + preposition + noun, specifically: prevail + in + the match.
The preposition "in" is crucial and cannot be changed. "The match" is the typical object, referring to a specific sporting event or contest.
The components cannot be separated. You can't say, for example, "prevail the match in."
What sounds unnatural: using a synonym of prevail that doesn't collocate well with "in the match" (e.g., "triumph in the match" is less common and sounds slightly awkward) or using the wrong preposition (e.g., "prevail at the match").
"LAGUNA NIGUEL — Sophomore Amy Matsuoka and freshman Alyaa Abdulghany both shot par 36 to help the Sea Kings prevail in the nonleague match at El Niguel Country Club on Thursday." — Los Angeles Times
"A lot is said these days about the degree of experience needed to prevail in the biggest matches but, to my mind, confidence is more important still." — Independent
"INDIAN WELLS — The top-seeded Lions prevailed in the title match of the Golden State Athletic Conference tournament on Thursday at Indian Wells Tennis Garden." — Los Angeles Times
"If Trump, the 22-year-old left-hander from Bristol, prevails in that match, he will face the winner of the O'Sullivan-Davis clash in the second round on Tuesday." — BBC
"COSTA MESA — OCC's Troy Tomasello and Chris Pratt each had 12 kills but visiting Grossmont prevailed in the Pacific Coast Conference match, 23-25, 25-20, 33-31, 25-22." — Los Angeles Times
Examples sourced from https://ludwig.guru/s/prevail+in+the+match
| Phrase | Context |
|---|---|
| win the match | Most common, neutral register. |
| be victorious in the match | More formal and emphatic. |
| triumph in the match | Suggests a significant victory; slightly more dramatic. |
| come out on top in the match | More informal, emphasizes overcoming adversity. |
| secure a victory in the match | Highlights the effort to achieve the win. |
| emerge victorious from the match | Emphasizes the process of the match and the final result. |
| Expression | Meaning | Grammatical Pattern | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| prevail in the match | Be victorious or successful in a specific game or contest. | verb + preposition + noun | Formal to Neutral |
No, the components of "prevail in the match" must stay together. It's a fixed phrase where "in" is the correct preposition to use with "prevail" in this context. Separating the parts or changing the preposition would make the sentence grammatically incorrect.
While both phrases indicate success, "prevail in the match" carries a more formal and emphatic tone than "win the match." "Win the match" is a more neutral and common expression, while "prevail" suggests overcoming greater challenges or opposition to achieve victory.
The correct preposition to use with "prevail" in this context is "in," not "at." Saying "prevail at the match" is grammatically incorrect. The expression is "prevail in the match," indicating success within the specific context of that match.
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