sphere of influence

noun phrase

: a territorial area within which the political influence or the interests of one nation are held to be more or less paramount

Examples of sphere of influence in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Just like those of us in the journalism community and anyone else in his vast sphere of influence. Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2025 Similar to the Hill sphere argument for planets, some moons can have a large enough sphere of influence to potentially possess moons of their own. Phil Plait, Scientific American, 21 Mar. 2025 President James Monroe declared in 1823 that the Americas were within the U.S.'s sphere of influence. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025 That reflects Putin’s desire to see the military alliance withdraw from former Communist states that were part of the Soviet sphere of influence, such as Poland, Romania and the Czech Republic. Lauren Kent, CNN, 14 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sphere of influence

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sphere of influence was in 1885

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Cite this Entry

“Sphere of influence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sphere%20of%20influence. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.

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