1
as in romance
also affaire
a brief romantic relationship
an affair between two singles spending the summer at the same beach resort
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2
as in event
a social gathering
the annual country club dance is a really fancy affair
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3
as in production
something produced by physical or intellectual effort
the lead float in the parade was a pretty impressive affair, a giant eagle's head with equally huge wings
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4
as in incident
something that happens
the whole affair from start to finish took a total of 15 minutes
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5
as in matter
something to be dealt with
it's none of your affair whom I'm going out with tonight
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of affair
Warren said Feinstein and Krista Whitaker, the Bears’ executive vice president of legal affairs and business/chief legal officer, had started preparing a contract weeks in advance of Poles’ eventual decision.
—
Adam Jahns, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
And 73 percent of Hispanic undergraduates are the first in their families to go to college, more than for any other group, according to NASPA, an association of student affairs administrators.
—Jon Marcus, NPR, 8 Apr. 2025
Rumors circulated that McArthur and Orsini had an affair, something McArthur always denied.
—Tony Holt, Arkansas Online, 7 Apr. 2025
As well as the recent charges, five women in the U.K. — four who remained anonymous and one who was 16 years old — previously came forward to accuse Brand in a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 current affairs show Dispatches in September 2023.
—Becca Longmire, People.com, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for affair
Adam Jahns, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
And 73 percent of Hispanic undergraduates are the first in their families to go to college, more than for any other group, according to NASPA, an association of student affairs administrators.
—Jon Marcus, NPR, 8 Apr. 2025
Rumors circulated that McArthur and Orsini had an affair, something McArthur always denied.
—Tony Holt, Arkansas Online, 7 Apr. 2025
As well as the recent charges, five women in the U.K. — four who remained anonymous and one who was 16 years old — previously came forward to accuse Brand in a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 current affairs show Dispatches in September 2023.
—Becca Longmire, People.com, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for affair
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affair
Noun
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The romance between Heigl’s Izzie and Morgan’s Denny in Season 2 bolstered the show’s popularity and powered Heigl to an Emmy win.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2025
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These Celebrity Pets Have Their Own Instagram Accounts — And Some Have Over 500K Followers Neither Flay nor Williamson have publicly commented on the romance.—
Emily Rella,
People.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The event brought in $30 million, but that was quickly overshadowed by footage of Obama gingerly leading Biden off the stage — which soon became an apt metaphor for the 2024 campaign.—
W. James Antle III,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
14 Mar. 2025
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Is an important event missing from this date?—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
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According to researchers, removing a single gene that controls production of a hormone called thyroxine can create swarms of tadpoles incapable of their usual metamorphosis into adult amphibians.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
10 Apr. 2025
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The larger portion of the mask is formulated with NAD+, a coenzyme that supports collagen production and soothes antioxidative stress, and the lower chin piece puts polylactic acid to work in each little microfiber of the mask to lift, firm, and improve texture and tone evenness.—
Annie Blackman,
Allure,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority also confirmed the incident in a statement.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
10 Apr. 2025
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The incident was later deemed a swatting call, a when a fake 911 report is made in order to activate police response.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Not to reopen wounds, but to remind Cambodians why justice, democracy and dignity matter.—
Sophal Ear,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2025
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Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic, for example, have been known to spar publicly over the matter — mostly because of one, specific means of defining space: the Kármán line.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
13 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The intrigue: This is the first year that San Diego Magazine's annual restaurant awards includes best bagels in the city.—
Kate Murphy,
Axios,
9 Apr. 2025
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However, Heyman's past alliances, most notably his managerial stint with CM Punk during Punk's significant championship run, inject a compelling layer of intrigue into this high-stakes triple-threat match that will headline night 1.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The Recruit followed Owen Hendricks (Centineo), a CIA lawyer, who becomes involved in massive international conflicts with dangerous parties after an asset tries to expose their relationship to the agency.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Mar. 2025
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The outlet reported that Sanchez had two engagement parties – one in Beverly Hills and another in Positano, Italy.—
Janelle Ash,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The precise extent of the cancellations and the specific products affected remain unclear.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Apr. 2025
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What are the essential products in your nighttime routine?—
Ariana Yaptangco,
Glamour,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Affair.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affair. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.
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