1
as in potential
the basic elements from which something can be developed
many thought that the mayor's speech lacked substance because specific proposals for solving the city's problems were few
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in essence
the quality or qualities that make a thing what it is
tireless caring and nurturing that was the very substance of maternal love
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in wealth
the total of one's money and property
measure the worth of a person not by his earthly substance but by his good deeds
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in object
one that has a real and independent existence
the question of whether the soul is a substance entirely independent of the body
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of substance
The board needs to implement a more comprehensive system to reduce the rising rate of deaths in county jails that includes mental health services, substance abuse treatment and alternatives to incarceration.
—
Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 27 May 2026
As of Tuesday morning, the substance was hovering between 90 and 92 degrees Fahrenheit and water was still flowing on it.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
The category covers any plant substance — roots, mushrooms, herbs, bark, flowers — used for health purposes.
—Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 27 May 2026
Officials initially estimated the tank contained about 80,000 gallons of the substance, but later revised the amount to roughly 900,000 gallons.
—Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for substance
Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 27 May 2026
As of Tuesday morning, the substance was hovering between 90 and 92 degrees Fahrenheit and water was still flowing on it.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
The category covers any plant substance — roots, mushrooms, herbs, bark, flowers — used for health purposes.
—Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 27 May 2026
Officials initially estimated the tank contained about 80,000 gallons of the substance, but later revised the amount to roughly 900,000 gallons.
—Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for substance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for substance
Noun
-
One New York art adviser, speaking anonymously, resorted to an old saw to express skepticism about the new venture’s potential for anyone not already highly clued in to the art market.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
27 May 2026
-
Cindy Clark and Rachel Parakh recently led a preview hike for members of the Saratoga Foothill Club, offering an early look at the site’s potential.—
Debby Rice,
Mercury News,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
If Chartreuse is tasting the essence of the forest from Gaia’s own breast, then Fernet is more like shaking hands with the devil.—
Jason O'Bryan,
Robb Report,
30 May 2026
-
The last album began in essence as an experiment, to see if Dogstar had another chapter in them.—
Steve Appleford,
SPIN,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
In an era shaped by social media, widening inequality, and constant exposure to other people’s relationships, wealth, and success, jealousy has become one of the defining but least honestly discussed emotions of adulthood.—
Meehika Barua,
Time,
29 May 2026
-
By employing his knowledge of advanced technology to achieve his goal of crafting a spaceship to transport life-giving water back to his dry planet, Newton creates enormous wealth for his insane aqua-ark idea.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
The poem persists both as a series of occurrences and as a solid object.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 May 2026
-
The game’s objective is to group words or objects into four groups of four based on commonalities within each group as quickly as possible.—
Mark Cooper,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
This source of damage is easily avoided by purchasing manure and hay from a reputable source and asking if the source material was treated with aminopyralid.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
29 May 2026
-
That could result in a BLEVE, or boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion, which would have caused widespread damage and released toxic material into the air.—
Iris Kwok,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Last fall, former Chief Floyd Mitchell openly criticized the stringent nature of federal court oversight while resigning from the department after just a year and a half on the job, leaving the agency searching for a new leader for at least the 10th time since 2015.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
-
Asked about her son’s uncanny focus and attention to detail, his mom mentioned Malachi’s artistic nature.—
Bruce Feldman,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
As part of the investigation into a decades-long drug-trafficking money trail linked, authorities arrested three people and ordered the seizure of assets, companies and financial holdings worth more than 200 million euros.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
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Buyers are treating properties not just as lifestyle assets, but as long‑term investments that must withstand environmental volatility.—
Cyril PETIT,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
While Liden’s displacement and depersonalization of private property in Unheimlich Manöver could be perceived as the inversion of Darboven’s cocooning, the artists share a preoccupation with the silent speech of objects and with language as a spatial entity.—
Erika Landström,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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Like OpenAI, Anthropic pairs a controlling mission entity (the Long-Term Benefit Trust) with a public benefit corporation.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Substance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substance. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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