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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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

Adding Simmons to the middle of the defensive line affects everything. — Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026 The Legislature has also instituted a new requirement of in-person voting for first-time voters without a state drivers license — a burden which disproportionately affects young people. — Cameron Driggers, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2026 The same problem affects access policies, cloud configurations, segmentation and application controls. — Alex Spokoiny, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026 That only affects the northern section of the state on Pacific time. — Hali Smith, Idaho Statesman, 30 Oct. 2026 Still, very little is known about how female biology affects heart health. — Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 30 Oct. 2026 How the Fed affects your money The Fed's benchmark interest rate determines what banks charge one another for overnight loans. — Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026 Race affects how pop groups are marketed, and this in turn shapes what kinds of expression are seen as racially appropriate. — Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026 By some estimates, trypophobia affects roughly one in six people. — Gabriela Galvin, Scientific American, 26 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for affects

Verb

Reliability also influences the obligations that an AI system must perform following the production of an answer.

— Ethan Stone, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Feel aside, a mattress also influences the look and proportions of your bedroom.

— Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of influences

Verb

The program involves the city offering incentives to developers to construct housing that is needed in the city, according to city officials.

— Marc Hayot, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
One story involves an innocent coal miner, condemned to death in 1877, who left a handprint in his cell at the Carbon County Jail that no amount of sanding or paint has been able to erase.

— Marcus Librizzi, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of involves

Verb

Macy’s Herald Square reimagined Santaland simulates a journey on the North Star Express to the North Pole, and offers extended time with Santa, expedited entries, and gifts.

— David Moin, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
In turn, Philippine authorities temporarily banned GoreBox, a sandbox-style action game that simulates violence and destruction using weapons.

— Chad de Guzman, Time, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of simulates

Verb

The question that haunts his stories, giving them a pulsing undertow of dread, is whether those things have already happened or not.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
Unlike Sara Gideon, the Democrat whose 2020 loss to Collins still haunts Maine’s progressives, Jackson isn’t touting his ability to work across the aisle.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of haunts

Verb

Focus on Predator Weather Instead of worrying about how weather impacts deer, hunters should consider how weather affects our potential success as predators.

— Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 29 Oct. 2026
Ozempic and Wegovy, made by Novo Nordisk, mimic the effects of GLP-1, a type of hormone in the body that impacts everything from the brain to muscle to the pancreas, stomach and liver, according to the National Institutes of Health.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of impacts

Verb

What concerns me even more is that Katy works in the travel industry and still couldn't explain exactly how someone got into her account.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026
The allegation was previously investigated The latest allegation concerns an October 2016 New York Times story related to a secret court order that required Yahoo to scan emails for messages potentially linked to a foreign terrorist organization.

— Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of concerns

Verb

Directed by Kim Han-gyul, the film is an adaptation of 2012 Swedish film Cockpit about a pilot who pretends to be his own younger sister after being fired from his job.

— Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2026
Everyone pretends the films were chosen purely on merit, but the slate often reads Hollywood with a lanyard and a conscience.

— Joseph Kahn, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of pretends

Verb

CMOs should be working with their public relations colleagues to strengthen the brand narrative by creating opportunities for earned media coverage in those outlets that are feeding the LLMs the target audience frequents.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026
The restrictions will be typically attached to signposts and buildings, Romano said, especially frequents around high-volume student residences.

— Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 28 Aug. 2026