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impact

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verb

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word impact different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of impact are collision, concussion, and shock. While all these words mean "a forceful, even violent contact between two or more things," impact may be used to imply contact between two things, at least one of which is impelled toward the other.

the glass shattered on impact with the floor

When is it sensible to use collision instead of impact?

The meanings of collision and impact largely overlap; however, collision implies the coming together of two or more things with such force that both or all are damaged or their progress is severely impeded.

the collision damaged the vehicle

In what contexts can concussion take the place of impact?

In some situations, the words concussion and impact are roughly equivalent. However, concussion when not in technical use, often suggests the shattering, disrupting, or weakening effects of a collision, explosion, or blow.

bystanders felt the concussion of the blast

When could shock be used to replace impact?

The synonyms shock and impact are sometimes interchangeable, but shock often denotes the effect produced by a collision and carries the suggestion of something that strikes or hits with force.

the shock of falling rocks

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 impact
Noun
The trend has raised alarm because visitors from abroad have an important impact on the U.S. economy — especially in California, one of the leading destinations for German tourists. Erik Kirschbaum, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2025 Key Ingredients: Lactic acid, Salvia Hispanica seed oil, coconut oil | Color-Safe: Yes Best for Gray Hair: Better Not Younger Silver Lining Purple Shampoo One tester with an almost full-head of natural grays reported that multiple people noticed the impact this shampoo had on her hair. Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 16 May 2025
Verb
Due date for individuals and businesses impacted by recent terrorist attacks in Israel. Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025 Commuters impacted by detours were encouraged to ride New Jersey Transit trains since the agency has a station in Mount Arlington, west of the area where the sinkholes formed, but rail service is currently suspended due to a strike by engineers. Jared Kofsky, ABC News, 17 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for impact
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impact
Noun
  • Crew members were harnessed to the masts for the ship’s traditional departure performance at the time of the collision.
    David Matthews, New York Daily News, 19 May 2025
  • The collision of the Cuauhtémoc with the Brooklyn Bridge comes just 16 months after a massive cargo ship plowed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge.
    Jade Walker, CNN Money, 19 May 2025
Noun
  • Some chanted about the effects of tourism on water supplies.
    Borja Suarez, USA Today, 20 May 2025
  • Early studies relied on the DNA of modern people to make inferences about evolution, but these methods could detect only events that had lasting effects.
    Kermit Pattison, Scientific American, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • The proof of the machine’s handicapping chops — or more accurately, the proof of the machine’s programmers’ handicapping chops in weighting the hundreds of factors influencing Thoroughbred performance — will be in the proverbial pudding.
    Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
  • These agencies assign ratings that influence borrowing costs, investor confidence, and global economic perceptions.
    Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • Larson crashed during a practice session at Indianapolis, as his No. 17 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet spun out and bumped into the wall.
    Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 19 May 2025
  • Highlights include two standout school sequences: one involving a bloody volleyball game, the other a swimming class in which Alpha bumps her head badly and clears the water like the shark in Jaws.
    Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2025
Verb
  • Life offers a series of uncomfortable truths, often rooted not in surface-level perception but in our deeper human wiring.
    Julian Hayes II, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
  • But the specter of A.I. misuse, and the imperfect systems used to root it out, may also be affecting students who are following the rules.
    Callie Holtermann, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Noun
  • The woman, who according to the news outlet was five months pregnant, was treated for shock, while her partner’s face was covered in blood.
    Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 14 May 2025
  • Saudi Press Agency | Via Reuters The toppling of the Assad regime during a shock offensive by anti-Assad militia groups in December last year stunned the global community and brought about the prospect of a new beginning for the devastated country.
    Natasha Turak, CNBC, 14 May 2025
Noun
  • Against that backdrop, Monday’s meeting has taken on a heightened significance.
    Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 18 May 2025
  • With the restoration complete, the film’s premiere at Cannes Classics takes on special significance for its original stars.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 May 2025
Verb
  • The Trump administration’s recent shift toward U.S. isolationism regarding global affairs — and particularly those more acutely affecting Europe, such as the war in Ukraine — piled pressure on the U.K. and European Union to agree on a deal.
    Holly Ellyatt,Silvia Amaro, CNBC, 19 May 2025
  • There’s no cure for it, but it’s been affecting me for years.
    Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Impact.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impact. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

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