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
Aguilar is one of the most influential voices in contemporary Mexican music — a bridge between deep tradition and global modernity.
—
William Earl, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025
Moore’s equally influential play helped catalyze and inspire the wave of recent signings, including Napheesa Collier, fellow native of Jefferson City, Missouri, who happens to play for the Minnesota Lynx.
—Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Under Nuno, Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson were consistently the two most important, most influential players.
—Paul Taylor, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
The Massachusetts native launched Barstool Sports in 2003 as a free sports-betting paper for Boston bars and turned it into one of the most influential media brands in the country.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for influential
William Earl, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025
Moore’s equally influential play helped catalyze and inspire the wave of recent signings, including Napheesa Collier, fellow native of Jefferson City, Missouri, who happens to play for the Minnesota Lynx.
—Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Under Nuno, Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson were consistently the two most important, most influential players.
—Paul Taylor, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
The Massachusetts native launched Barstool Sports in 2003 as a free sports-betting paper for Boston bars and turned it into one of the most influential media brands in the country.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for influential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for influential
Adjective
-
After authoritative wins over the Lions and Commanders, the Packers certainly had the look of a Super Bowl contender.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Is the appearance of an authoritative dictionary at a precise moment in the history of a language a statement about its maturity?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The powerful currents of flash floods can carry drivers off the road.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Oct. 2025
-
In many respects, CDMS users receive the powerful anti-ship capabilities of a surface warfare vessel worth many hundreds of millions of dollars for just a tiny fraction of that price.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Oct. 2025
-
While the jury is out on the exact cause of Harry Potter’s enduring popularity, Beach and Willner highlight an important point in its favor.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Studies show that fines that don’t put a significant dent in a company’s profit don’t deter companies from future violations, Leffel said.—
Anjeanette Damon,
ProPublica,
10 Oct. 2025
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These real-time notifications act as an early warning system, giving you a chance to lock down your accounts before significant damage occurs.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Which is not always easy, given that Bellingham is ultimately a player for dominant moments and sudden bursts rather than someone who controls whole games.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
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Nvidia — The dominant maker of AI semiconductors rose almost 2% following reports that the chipmaker will help finance xAI chips as part of a $20 billion deal.—
Scott Schnipper,
CNBC,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The strong currents from flash floods can pull drivers off roadways.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Summit kept up the strong play as its defense forced and recovered a fumble from Dallas Simmons.—
Jordan Neal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Influential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/influential. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
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