affair

noun

ə-ˈfer How to pronounce affair (audio)
Definition of affairnext
1
as in romance
also affaire a brief romantic relationship an affair between two singles spending the summer at the same beach resort

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in event
a social gathering the annual country club dance is a really fancy affair

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in production
something produced by physical or intellectual effort the lead float in the parade was a pretty impressive affair, a giant eagle's head with equally huge wings

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4
as in incident
something that happens the whole affair from start to finish took a total of 15 minutes

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5
as in matter
something to be dealt with it's none of your affair whom I'm going out with tonight

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 affair The indulgent affair includes a custom pasta bar, raw seafood towers, and plenty of pastries. — Megan Dubois, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2026 In addition, Martin will oversee Cinema United’s state government affairs function. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2026 Dozens of arrests have been made but so far no one has been convicted in an affair that traumatized Mexico and stained the country's reputation. — CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026 The late-game rally by the Braves ended a back-and-forth affair over three of the final four innings. — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for affair
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affair
  1. romance
  2. event
  3. production
  4. incident
  5. matter
  6. fling
  7. party
  8. product
Noun
  • In fact, the book’s depiction of Nick’s friendship and burgeoning relationship with Daisy’s golf-loving best friend Jordan Baker is upgraded to a torrid romance with its own love song and bedroom scenes that match Daisy’s and Gatsby’s.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 1 Oct. 2026
  • As season seven airs, Newport is juggling her divorce alongside a string of high-profile romances.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of romance
Noun
  • There’s no end of things to do here—an athletic club, frequent cultural events, and an exquisite spa.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Oct. 2026
  • When the event is death or violence, forecasting is readily perceived as not only monetizing harm but possibly even incentivizing it.
    — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of event
Noun
  • The Type 01 is the first production car since the brand’s reinvention, and the most powerful, most aerodynamic, and most technologically advanced car Jaguar has ever built.
    — Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Paul Heaney’s company itself acts as the central commissioner, putting projects into production and then sells the rights to buyers who have already stated their interest.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of production
Noun
  • Few fully understand this technology, and every incident knocks investors’ confidence further.
    — Yerbol Orynbayev, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The Storm was forced to acknowledge the incident and apologized, before the WNBA later fined Keaton and suspended her from Seattle’s next five home games.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of incident
Noun
  • Furnari recalled that some of the song’s early music and lyrics came together quickly, but writing words that could do justice to their experience was another matter.
    — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 4 Oct. 2026
  • This achievement could give scientists a new way to control how light interacts with matter, study extremely fast quantum processes, and eventually distinguish molecules that are mirror images of each other.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of matter
Noun
  • The Faith Tour aims to document his brief fling with arena stardom.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The second, 2015’s Catastrophe, is a two-hander performed by co-creators Horgan and Rob Delaney, in which their characters (also named Sharon and Rob) grapple with a surprise pregnancy after a brief fling.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of fling
Noun
  • Nightly specials include fresh takes on Maine classics, like a Cajun lobster roll on a brioche (fantastic), but there’s also an extensive menu of starters, salads, sandwiches and burgers, and mains that will keep every member of your party happy.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The party has an average 8-point lead in generic congressional ballot polling, according to RealClearPolitics.
    — Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of party
Noun
  • But the argument for Oura’s valuation depends on whether or not investors are seeing it as a single-product hardware maker or something bigger and more expansion potential.
    — Morgan Chittum, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The Brasserie beside it, a continuation of the same vibe, focuses on French dishes with some good vegetarian options, and hosts a breakfast buffet with lovely local products.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of product

Phrases Containing affair

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affair
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Cite this Entry

“Affair.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affair. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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