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

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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

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 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 When not pulled into their own circuits, this can cause a momentary flicker due to a voltage drop that affects the entire home. — Bianca Lambert, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2026 But further advances are complicated because the area is an organized crime risk, which affects investment and insurance policies. — Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for affects

Verb

Because the galaxy’s gravity influences the stellar stream’s shape and motion, the researchers used the trail of stars to trace the galaxy’s gravitational field.

— Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
Because the forest canopy influences shade, temperature, water loss and photosynthesis, the index provides a powerful measure of forest function.

— Regan E. Dunn, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of influences

Verb

That gap highlights why China’s semiconductor self-sufficiency drive involves more than producing domestic chips.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Aug. 2026
If insurance falls short, the third line involves strategic litigation defense, aiming to settle cases early to minimize costs and uncertainty.

— Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of involves

Verb

The Wan Chun drill simulates the evacuation of Taiwan’s leader to a safe place in the event of war or other emergencies.

— Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Here’s music that doesn’t just deal with pain but structurally simulates it—music about falling apart that falls apart itself.

— Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of simulates

Verb

And maybe, to paraphrase a cultural critic who still haunts these times, Gen Z is responding to a future that has slowly been getting canceled for a long time.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026
Wong haunts the stories of the Floridian smugglers, connected to many of the feuds and undercover operations.

— Rory Doherty, Time, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of haunts

Verb

The war impacts oil prices, which could have a negative effect on the general economy, as well as an upward impact on non-energy goods that move to stores in trucks.

— Bill Conerly, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
But that perspective is a misunderstanding of how recoil impacts your shooting in the long term.

— Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of impacts

Verb

By identifying exactly what the frustration concerns before reacting, leaders are more likely to channel emotion toward fixing broken systems instead of attacking individuals.

— Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Some users may not want their Twitch content used to train Amazon AI because of a lack of financial benefit, concerns that AI could cannibalize their business, or an aversion to the broader Amazon conglomerate.

— Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of concerns

Verb

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
The Note Nest creator Vanessa Harnik frequents traditional little free libraries and was inspired to create something special of her own.

— Mary Eber, CBS News, 14 July 2026