From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishprevail on/upon somebody phrasal verb formalPERSUADEto persuade someoneprevail on/upon somebody to do something She prevailed upon her father to say nothing. → prevail→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
prevail on/upon • More to the point, he prevailed on Amelia to write the text in a matter of weeks.• He sometimes has to dissemble in order to prevail on crucial issues.• He had therefore prevailed upon me to undertake a small portion of the Key Control Document Self Audit Procedures.• Overall, different people, as members of many different groups, prevail on particular issues.• She prevailed on some of them to give to her whatever they could spare.• In Zurich we have prevailed upon the promoters to move us from caravans in the car park into a hotel.• Despite his frailty, however, he prevailed on them to let him journey to Fort Kaskaskia in southern Illinois.• Earlier this year Cardinal Glemp repudiated this agreement but he has now been prevailed upon to honour it.prevail on/upon somebody to do something• It was all we could do to prevail on the President to hold one cabinet meeting every two months.• Human rights groups have prevailed upon the governor to intervene.• Despite his frailty, however, he prevailed on them to let him journey to Fort Kaskaskia in southern Illinois.• In Zurich we have prevailed upon the promoters to move us from caravans in the car park into a hotel.• Fernando Iturbe was next prevailed upon by Herrera to take up the problem of balancing the budget.• Feynman, who supervised the technicians, prevailed on his superiors to tell the recruits what they were doing and why.• More to the point, he prevailed on Amelia to write the text in a matter of weeks. 