Skip to main content
to win over

to win over

54 3.3
Get someone to support or agree with you
  • phrasal verb
  • /wɪn ˈoʊvər/
translation icon : convencer
  • All the while, French efforts to win over the local population are failing.
  • win over people
  • win over critics
  • try to win over

So along with being a regular girl, Phaera's role is to win over Tarkine.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • The candidate gave an inspiring speech to win over the voters before the election.

  • Even the most objectivable critics were soon won over by his charm.

  • - Well, how do you win over a girl?

  • For now, start by winning over the press.

  • Then you must win over the aunt, not the girl.

  • This might just be enough to win over the guests at the gala.

  • Roy, that is a wonderful way to win over your children.

  • The eminent good sense of what Jim was saying seemed to win over everyone else.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • For a moment, it seemed as if he had won over the physicist to his point of view.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • They had planned to attack, go in and then win over the hearts and minds of the Cubans.

Synonyms

to convince
vsto win over
2.7

Make someone believe something is true or agree to do something

aims to gain their support and alliance rather than only belief
to persuade
vsto win over
472 2.7

To make someone agree or do something by giving reasons

aims specifically to get someone to support you or be on your side
to convert
vsto win over
131 4.5

Change your religion, or persuade someone else to do this

aims to gain support and being on your side rather than deep belief change
to sway
vsto win over
81 3.6

To cause someone to change their opinion or decision

aims to gain lasting support rather than only shift opinion
to prevail
vsto win over
  • Formal
23 6.7

To persuade someone to do something after repeated effort

focuses on gaining their support and being on your side rather than effort
to change someone's mind
vsto win over
18 3.0

Make someone think differently about something

seeks their support and being on your side, not just opinion change
to prevail upon
vsto win over
4 7.7

To persuade someone who does not want to do something to do it

aims to gain willing support rather than pushing reluctant agreement
to bring round
vsto win over
  • UK
4.4

To persuade someone to accept your idea or plan

aims to gain their support rather than only temporary agreement
to swing over
vsto win over
5.8

Make someone change their opinion or decision

seeks lasting support and alliance rather than a one-time switch
to bend someone's will
vsto win over
7.1

Persuade someone to do what you want

aims to gain willing support rather than forceful compliance

Antonyms

123 6.7

To make someone feel alone and lose support from others

How Persuasive

to convince
2.7
to win over
54 3.3
to persuade
472 2.7
to sway
81 3.6

Surface Forms

win over infinitive
winning over present participle
wins over third person singular
won over past
won over past participle

Morphology

win + over

The sense 'to persuade someone to support you' is partially derivable because 'win' means to gain and the particle 'over' suggests movement or transfer to one side, so learners who know the constituents can often guess the general idea. However, the specific phrasal-verb usage (persuade/get someone onto your side) is a metaphorical extension and the particle's contribution is not fully predictable without exposure, so it is not fully transparent.

Etymology

The phrasal verb win over comes from a simple image: you win someone and bring them over to your side, as if pulling them across a line. That's why it means 'to persuade someone to support you or be on your side'.