1
as in authoritative
having power over the minds or behavior of others
in light of the effect that they have had, religious leaders such as Jesus and Muḥammad must be regarded as among the most influential people ever
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in powerful
having great power or influence
a particularly influential politician got the team a new ballpark
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of influential
Tanner is the co-chair of the Legislature’s influential Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee.
—
Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 28 Jan. 2026
Bill Clinton circumvented political accountability by pardoning the financier Marc Rich, the ex-husband of an influential Democratic donor, on the last day of his presidency.
—Bernadette Meyler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Park City was a linchpin of the indie film revolution of the ’90s and early aughts, launching the careers of directors such as Quentin Tarantino and Ryan Coogler and proving that artists didn’t need tens of millions of dollars to create influential cinema.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
Jack cited Congressional testimony by Lawrence Epstein, UFC senior vice president and COO, as influential.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for influential
Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 28 Jan. 2026
Bill Clinton circumvented political accountability by pardoning the financier Marc Rich, the ex-husband of an influential Democratic donor, on the last day of his presidency.
—Bernadette Meyler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Park City was a linchpin of the indie film revolution of the ’90s and early aughts, launching the careers of directors such as Quentin Tarantino and Ryan Coogler and proving that artists didn’t need tens of millions of dollars to create influential cinema.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
Jack cited Congressional testimony by Lawrence Epstein, UFC senior vice president and COO, as influential.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for influential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for influential
Adjective
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There’s a casual, authoritative swing to their performance that belies the stylistic range on the record; the songs touch upon different traditions, yet all sound of a piece.—
Stephen Thomas Erlewine,
Pitchfork,
26 Jan. 2026
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Washington delivers the dialogue with a thrilling range from purrs to roars, all imbued with an authoritative swagger.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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All of Russia is centered around Putin’s rule, and Putin is represented as the powerful male leader upon whose shoulders Russian greatness rests.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Jan. 2026
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And yet some of Rieder’s prior comments on Trump policy priorities, his lack of government experience and political donations to Trump critics could work against his candidacy for the powerful position.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Sleep disturbances While marijuana’s mild sedating and relaxing effects can sometimes help people who have difficulty falling asleep, experts say there are several important things to consider before using it as a sleep aid.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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In erasing these concepts, or transforming them into meaningless slogans, the recent right-wing campaign of educational suppression seeks to eliminate an important means of understanding Black history.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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An Australian study of advanced brain images found significant alterations even among people who had already recovered from mild infections — a possible explanation for cognitive deficits that may persist for years.—
Stephanie Armour,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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The burial ground dates back to a significant time in English history, when regional kingdoms started to form and consolidate power.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The Congress Centre was buzzing with both dominating and dominant leaders from across the world.—
Vaishali Nigam Sinha,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Scientists working at microscopic scales have relied on a single dominant fabrication technique to build complex 3D structures.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Neighbors are now calling for a stronger police presence beyond the campus itself.—
Chelsea Jones,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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The yen touched its strongest level since October in US trading Tuesday after comments from Japanese officials, including just recently the finance minister, fueled speculation that the government may intervene in the market to prevent the currency from resuming its decline.—
Mia Glass,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Influential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/influential. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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