1
as in sway
the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly
a mayor who doesn't hesitate to use her influence to get business leaders behind civic improvements
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in effect
the power to bring about a result on another
the basic premise of astrology is that the position of the stars has an influence on human affairs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to affect
to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response
the news reports of the devastating flood influenced a great many people to make contributions for food and supplies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of influence
Lucien Bruggeman, ABC News, 18 Mar. 2025
This may have been owing to the influence of her brother, now not only a celebrated writer but also a celebrated patriot.
—Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
Erin Jensen, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025
In an effort to influence public opinion, ByteDance has flooded the country with TikTok ad campaigns, which only heighten suspicions about the true nature of TikTok’s current operations.
—John Moolenaar, National Review, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for influence
Noun
Critics of the Trump administration say its efforts to nullify the agency will cripple American influence overseas and carry devastating effects for some of the most vulnerable populations in the world, which relied on U.S. funding for health care, food, and other basic needs.
—Lucien Bruggeman, ABC News, 18 Mar. 2025
This may have been owing to the influence of her brother, now not only a celebrated writer but also a celebrated patriot.
—Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
Verb
Robbins noticed that perception of the events was influenced by whose point of view was being shared.
—Erin Jensen, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025
In an effort to influence public opinion, ByteDance has flooded the country with TikTok ad campaigns, which only heighten suspicions about the true nature of TikTok’s current operations.
—John Moolenaar, National Review, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for influence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for influence
Noun
-
Hosted by the Ekman Group and organized jointly with the Swedish Fashion Council, CTF works to underline the sway of stakeholder synergies within the industry.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Mar. 2025
-
These figures seem to hold extraordinary sway over the President, who may see, in their taste for drawing theories of the universe from the growth of their own enterprises, a reflection of himself.—
Nathan Heller,
The New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Businesses have been warning investors about tariffs, inflation and growing uncertainty about the effect on costs.—
Damian J. Troise and Alex Veiga,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Steel Nomad's regular and Light subtests focus on APIs more commonly used for game development, like Metal and DirectX 12, to assess gaming geometry and particle effects.—
PCMAG,
PCMAG,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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His footwork, his mindset, and he’s not affected by having one bad play.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
20 Mar. 2025
-
This power shift comes at the direct expense of the collar counties — DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will — leaving suburban residents with little say over policies that affect their daily commutes and wallets.—
Seth Lewis,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Democrats saw the pending shutdown as a point of leverage against President Donald Trump and Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
15 Mar. 2025
-
The company was not in compliance with the consolidated net leverage ratio covenant under its Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2024, but has entered into an amendment with lenders to waive the non-compliance, subject to certain refinancing milestones by June 30, 2025.—
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom,
Quartz,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The show is turned on its head when the impact of Jamie’s time on the internet is realized.—
Lily Ford,
The Hollywood Reporter,
18 Mar. 2025
-
The festival will also host on April 12 an industry day that will gather industry professionals around panels discussing the impact of AI in cinema, covering creation, financing and changes in film production.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The latter film centers on Billy Brown (Vincent Gallo), who was recently released from prison and returns to his hometown with a desperate need to impress his parents.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
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Jayden was born with autism, Penny told The Commercial Appeal in 2020, adding that his ability to work with this diagnosis and play basketball at the collegiate level impressed him.—
Jackie Tempera,
People.com,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The mother of one of three men who died from what authorities said was a combination of cocaine and fentanyl last year in Kansas City’s Northlandhas filed a lawsuit against two men accused of providing the drugs.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
18 Mar. 2025
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He has not been accused or charged with any crime The parents of a 20-year-old college student who went missing 12 days ago while on a spring break trip in the Dominican Republic are asking authorities to declare their daughter dead, according to authorities.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
18 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Influence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/influence. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.
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