AFFECTS Synonyms: 136 Similar and Opposite Words

affects 1 of 2

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of affect

as in influences

to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response their son claims that scary movies don't affect him in the least

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in involves

to be the business or affair of fortunately, hurricane season doesn't affect the West Coast

Synonyms & Similar Words

affects

2 of 2

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of affect

as in simulates

to present a false appearance of she affected complete unawareness that we were talking about her, though she must have overheard

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in haunts

to go to or spend time in often a power couple known to affect all the fancy parties in town

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 affects

Verb

Diagnoses of autism, a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how people communicate and behave, have increased roughly fivefold over the past couple of decades. — Amanda Seitz, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026 Homelessness in Charlotte Homelessness affects, at minimum, 2,018 people in Mecklenburg County, according to the county’s 2026 Point-In-Time Count, which identifies the number of people experiencing homelessness on a single night. — Laura Horne, Charlotte Observer, 17 Aug. 2026 Instead, people need choices that are relevant (the decision actually changes what happens), consequential (the decision affects something that matters to the person) and proximal (the decision affects the employee directly). — Tracy Brower, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 The athlete had a rare cancer known as nasopharyngeal cancer, which affects the tissue that connects the back of the nose to the back of the mouth, per Cleveland Clinic. — Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 2026 This is important because RF power directly affects what systems such as radar and communications equipment can accomplish. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026 Pacific hurricane activity increases during El Niño, a warming of the Pacific near the equator that affects weather patterns across the globe. — Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026 Marsh’s daughter, Kristen Ann Carr, died in 1993 at 21 years old from sarcoma, a rare form of cancer that affects bones and muscle tissue. — Jack Dunn, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026 Deciding who belongs in a competitive category necessarily affects everyone competing for those opportunities. — Jonathan Alpert Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for affects

Verb

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

Definition of influences

Verb

Wildfire mapping is left to the states, which involves using complex computer models to determine the chances of a fire based on vegetation, terrain and fire behavior.

— Lauren Sommer, NPR, 17 Aug. 2026
The matter involves accounting firm Bennett Verby, which stands accused of facilitating a research and development repayment fraud, according to The Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

— Nana Ama Sarfo, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of involves

Verb

The upcoming 2027 model will also be the first to feature E-Shift, an optional system that simulates the gear shifts of a combustion engine.

— Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 18 Aug. 2026
The offense works on the underneath passing tree while the defense simulates coverage rules and passing off cross-under routes.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of simulates

Verb

The disease increasingly impacts non-smoking women, and current screening methods often detect small lung nodules that lack precise, minimally invasive treatment options.

— Geri Stengel, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Depression impacts networks in the brain that are involved in mood, motivation, and reward, points out Randy D’Amico, MD, neurosurgeon at Northwell’s Lenox Hill Hospital.

— Korin Miller, Allure, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of impacts

Verb

Urgent Matter reports that the dispute concerns a preservation easement on the nineteen-story building, Frank Lloyd Wright‘s only skyscraper, completed in 1956, and located forty-five miles north of Tulsa.

— News Desk, Artforum, 19 Aug. 2026
The three-level promoter structure applies regardless of whether the change concerns a new product, new service, or internal process innovation.

— IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of concerns

Verb

Because so many of the places that M frequents are luxurious, her sections have the sheen of a life-style magazine.

— Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Keep trash cans clean and securely closed, and store them away from porches and other outdoor areas your family frequents.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 1 Aug. 2026