influences 1 of 2

noun

plural of influence
1
as in sways
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 effects
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

influences

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of influence
as in affects
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of influences
Noun
Expect fresh, modern cuisine that melds local and international influences. — Laura Itzkowitz, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026 There are the famed Urfa chiles of the country’s southeast, the seafood, greens and corn in the north that edge the Black Sea, and the grand amalgam of influences in Istanbul. — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 2 Sep. 2026 This structure allows the manual to acknowledge influences of a disorder without taking a firm stance on etiology. — Jessica Scheer, STAT, 2 Sep. 2026 No single experience appears to explain much, but thousands of small environmental influences may accumulate over a lifetime to shape personality. — Jessica Craig, Popular Science, 2 Sep. 2026 The actress then praised them for being positive influences on her. — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026 Arizona's Maricopa County — home to Phoenix — has developed sophisticated protocols for sussing out the subtle influences of heat on people's deaths. — Alejandra Borunda, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026 Band from Venezuela fuses reggae, funk, soul and Caribbean rhythms with Latin pop and alternative influences. — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026 Suspicions that the festival was succumbing to fascist influences actually led to the establishment of the Cannes Film Festival as an alternative after the 1938 edition. — ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
As the world influences the object, changing its state, the arrow turns smoothly through Hilbert space. — Quanta Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026 The right dose, delivered consistently and appropriately, influences outcomes. — John Graham Harper, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 The pair bonded over their Vietnamese roots, and that shared heritage now influences their entertaining styles. — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 21 Aug. 2026 The 10-year US Treasury yield influences mortgages rates, auto loans and rates for business loans. — Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026 Because the forest canopy influences shade, temperature, water loss and photosynthesis, the index provides a powerful measure of forest function. — Regan E. Dunn, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026 This is why the choice between a flyby mission and a landing mission on Mars influences the spacecraft’s speed, trajectory, and therefore the time taken to reach the planet. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Aug. 2026 While no single food can prevent illness, your diet significantly influences your immune health. — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 6 Aug. 2026 As the following charts will show, a more accurate way to describe it is that the short-end of the Treasury curve heavily influences the Fed funds rate. — Todd Gordon, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for influences
  1. leverages
  2. effects
  3. affects
  4. authorities
  5. impacts
  6. impresses
  7. weights
  8. touches
Noun
  • And Soorty’s Rebellion Noir concept leverages overdyeing, creating dark, moody denim.
    — Sarah Jones, Footwear News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • According to Archer, Halo leverages technologies refined through nearly eight years of electric aircraft research and testing.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 23 July 2026
Definition of leverages
Noun
  • Diesel also faces higher seasonal demand that is compounding the effects of the supply shortages.
    — Rob Wile, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026
  • They’re often made for their biological effects, serving as distress signals or to ward off pests and predators.
    — Mike McRae September 03, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of effects
Verb
  • An incident that for others might be fatal—a free fall from a high bridge—affects the coyote for only a brief moment.
    — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • On taxation, only about a third of clients understand how other income affects the taxability of their Social Security check, and nearly half are blindsided to learn that Medicare premiums can quietly shrink their monthly payment.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of affects
Noun
  • The driver of the Mercedes-Benz remained at the scene until authorities arrived.
    — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Two people were stabbed, one fatally, near Times Square on Monday afternoon, with responding authorities shooting and killing the female suspect, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of authorities
Noun
  • An agreement paramount to Idaho dairy Idaho’s dairy industry may see the biggest impacts from the Canadian tariffs, which will target milk, cream and whey at 50%, and cheese at 25%.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Such proclamations are a procedural measure officials take in emergencies to allow for mobilization of resources and staff to prepare for and respond to potential impacts.
    — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of impacts
Verb
  • Drew Allar impresses in preseason debut against Packers The Steelers' third-round pick out of Penn State this past year went 10 for 13 for 154 yards and three touchdowns against the Green Bay Packers.
    — Patrick Damp, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The arts scene impresses, too, with several galleries sprinkled throughout town.
    — Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of impresses
Noun
  • Now, this doesn’t mean going to the gym and picking up weights.
    — Connie Etermadi, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Diaper sizing Both brands offer parallel sizes based on babies’ weights from newborn (under 10 pounds) to size 6 (35+ pounds).
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of weights
Verb
  • The feeling of safety as my hand touches the doorknob and the house is unlocked.
    — Alex Jovanovich, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Images coming from social media show the crisis touches almost every aspect of life in Cuba.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of touches

Browse Nearby Words

influenced
influences
influencing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Influences.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/influences. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All