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

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome affects the kidneys and causes a wide range of symptoms, including blurred vision, low blood pressure, acute shock, internal bleeding and kidney failure. —

Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026 The question of how Venus’s atmosphere affects probes isn’t just about the past—the list of artifacts may be growing soon because more probes are set to land on Venus. —

Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 10 May 2026 Just like life, everything affects everything else. —

Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 9 May 2026 The actor had publicly revealed nearly one year earlier that he had been diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative illness that affects nerve cells and muscle function. —

Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026 The ban affects private destinations in the Bahamas managed by Carnival Cruise Line, including Celebration Key and RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay. —

Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 May 2026 Weather affects more people than volcanism — namely, everyone, all the time — but some 800 million people live within 100 kilometers of an active volcano, and some (very rare) eruptions can also affect the entire planet. —

Quanta Magazine, 8 May 2026 The recall affects certain 2024-2026 AMG GT, C-Class, E-Class, SL, CLE and GLC vehicles, a May 1 notice published on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website reads. —

Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 8 May 2026 The weather service issued a similar heat advisory that affects much of the San Joaquin Valley, including the cities of Fresno, Merced, Bakersfield, Porterville and Visalia. —

Allison Gibson, Sacbee.com, 8 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for affects

Verb

Adding more of this hormone influences the markings on their babies’ backs—either bars or stripes—which provide different forms of camouflage in different environments.

— Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 10 May 2026
The look, including logos, packaging and anything else a customer sees before experiencing the product, influences the customer’s decision.

— Shep Hyken, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026