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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in involves

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

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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

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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

West Nile, spread by mosquitoes in the Culex genus, affects about 2,000 people every year in the US and causes about 130 deaths, and this season is off to an early and ominous start, the CDC warned. — Meg Tirrell, CNN Money, 14 July 2026 The limited nature of the aquariums’ beluga habitats affects the whales both physically and mentally, with one of the main problems being boredom, said Marino, who is also a neuroscientist. — Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026 It was powered by the boom in financial markets, which disproportionately affects the Empire State's economy, as well as the big buildout in AI. — Scott Cohn, CNBC, 13 July 2026 The National Weather Service said the severe weather affects a wide region stretching from the Ozark Mountains in southern Missouri eastward into much of the Ohio and Tennessee river valleys. — Hallie Golden, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026 The recall affects about 3,820 Insignia Front Control Gas Ranges sold in the United States, with an additional 700 units sold in Canada. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 10 July 2026 Rescheduling primarily affects medical-use, leaving adult-use operations in a legal gray area. — Peter Su, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026 This issue mainly affects the crafts/below-the-line categories, like directing, editing and cinematography, which are evaluated by specific episodes ahead of nominations. — Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 6 July 2026 The World Health Organization estimates complete tooth loss affects almost 7% of adults aged 20 and older globally. — Allison Palmer july 6, Charlotte Observer, 6 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for affects

Verb

By calling a game early for excessive precipitation (or making players continue to trudge through poor conditions), an umpire’s subjective view of weather conditions directly influences MLB records.

— Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 9 July 2026
That gap in knowledge is becoming increasingly important as climate change influences weather patterns around the world and extreme events are expected to become more frequent and, in some cases, more intense.

— Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Definition of influences

Verb

Graham died Saturday at the age of 71, and a medical examiner's preliminary findings suggested the cause was aortic dissection, which involves a tear in the main artery from the heart.

— Major Garrett, CBS News, 13 July 2026
For reference, multiplying a pair of thousand-digit numbers involves a million single-digit multiplications using the grade-school method but fewer than 57,000 using Karatsuba’s algorithm.

— Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 13 July 2026

Definition of involves

Verb

Swanson earned the national championship in the Postsecondary Collision Damage Appraisal Division, a competition that simulates the work of professional collision estimators and insurance appraisers, according to a press release from the college.

— Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026
The mission simulates a scenario in which a maneuverable satellite rapidly approaches and inspects another spacecraft that is not cooperating.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 June 2026

Definition of simulates

Verb

Directed by Sébastien Vanicek (2023’s Infested), the follow-up to 2023 reboot Evil Dead Rise stars Wednesday‘s Hunter Doohan in a story about curses lingering too long in a family and the undead that haunts them.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 7 July 2026
Tawanda Davis moved from her home on Bristol Street in March, but the explosion still haunts her.

— Brandon Goldner, CBS News, 29 June 2026

Definition of haunts

Verb

Any proposal that impacts taxpayers must be carefully examined, clearly justified, and supported by transparency and accountability.

— Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 July 2026
This is not just a healthcare issue but also an economic and workforce issue that directly impacts business growth, labor markets and national productivity.

— Sas Mukherjee, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Definition of impacts

Verb

Another issue with the heat index concerns the way that it’s calculated.

— Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
That case concerns a longstanding Supreme Court precedent that broadly shields members of such boards from being fired at will, in order to protect them from partisan interference.

— Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026

Definition of concerns

Verb

The show only pretends to be organized around romantic couples.

— Lillian Fishman, New Yorker, 27 June 2026
The sequence in which Carmy tries to talk Richie down from a panic attack feels equally dynamic and alive right to its conclusion — when Carmy pretends they’ve gotten locked in, just as Carmy once was, to mess with Richie’s head.

— Jen Chaney, Vulture, 26 June 2026

Definition of pretends

Verb

As someone who frequents the office, a lightweight sweater is a necessity for balancing between frigid temps inside and balmy weather outside.

— Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 4 June 2026
Old Second is a married gay man who frequents the cinema while his wife, Bao Mei, sells movie tickets.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 May 2026