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

If the foreground star has a planet orbiting it, the planet’s gravity also affects the light from the distant star. — Thomas Fauchez, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2026 The rare condition restricts the movement of the eye, and usually only affects one eye — according to the NHS. — Leon Imber, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 While this only affects a single coal plant in Michigan, the reasoning of the decision will apply to every coal plant closure that has been blocked by the DOE. — John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026 Rabies is a fatal but preventable viral disease that affects the central nervous system. — Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Sep. 2026 Food insecurity affects children’s health, development, ability to learn and overall well-being. — Chris Card, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026 Andrew Perloff and Paul Pabst assess the threat level for the teams in the AFC East, discussing how much Geno Smith elevates the Jets and how the Patriots' schedule affects their ceiling. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 10 Sep. 2026 So discovering that smokers are less likely to develop a serious neurological impairment that affects millions worldwide has left medical experts scratching their heads. — Mike McRae 10, New Atlas, 10 Sep. 2026 PayPal has many middle-income customers and some lower-income customers, so a pullback in spending affects use of its payments platform. — Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for affects

Verb

And that advisory panel, which influences state and insurance vaccine policies, is caught in a court battle.

— Lauran Neergaard, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Visual design influences the meaning of these interactions before every word has been fully processed.

— Goran Paun, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of influences

Verb

Top grading involves removing a leader who has grown complacent and is no longer the right match for the job and replacing them with someone who is better equipped for the new challenges in the role.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Islay is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides, with a landscape of rugged beaches and peat bogs, and traveling through it usually involves many small logistics.

— Hayley Domin, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of involves

Verb

Another image, that of a man falling from the World Trade Center towers, haunts many to this day ‒ including the photographer who took the picture.

— Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
That past haunts Léo throughout his week-long trip to the City of Lights, where he’s waylaid before heading to Italy to deal with the death of his estranged and supposedly wealthy father.

— Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of haunts

Verb

As is the case with any player’s contract negotiation, the use of player or team options in the deal significantly impacts the final number.

— Hunter Patterson, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
The rankings highlight how the growing adoption of AI significantly impacts secondary education.

— Gina Park, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of impacts

Verb

The film concerns a bus full of French high-school seniors on a trip to Pompeii, where the long gaze of history meets their hormonal entanglements and a bunch of Freudian desire.

— Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026
Much of it concerns Landau’s relationship with eventual wife Nora, played by actress and TV presenter Radmila Schegoleva.

— Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of concerns

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
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