influenced 1 of 2

adjective

as in swayed

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influenced

2 of 2

verb

past tense of influence
as in affected
to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response the news reports of the devastating flood influenced a great many people to make contributions for food and supplies

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 influenced
Verb
The stark contradiction between classroom theory and real world events sparked his curiosity regarding financial systems and influenced his perspective on how economic policy should manage operational risks. — CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026 Over at Article, there are pages of savings up to 60% off on midcentury modern and Scandi-influenced furniture, home decor, and lighting all waiting to be snapped up. — Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 6 Nov. 2026 In a subsequent interview, the governor said his Catholic background and the inequities in the criminal justice system influenced his refusal to sign off on executions. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026 The guidance has influenced instruction at military academies and the development of human-rights laws. — Joel Mathis, TheWeek, 5 Nov. 2026 That philosophy eventually influenced the opening of Poole’s Diner. — Evan Moore november 5, Charlotte Observer, 5 Nov. 2026 While the intentionally spare design of the MacBook Pro has influenced dozens of Windows laptops, the echoes ring particularly loud for the Surface Laptop Ultra. — Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 4 Nov. 2026 The Fed’s decision may also have been influenced, at least somewhat, by the upcoming election. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2026 Johnson allegedly influenced district school board members to approve the purchase, including arranging a meeting between the reseller’s CEO and district officials, per the complaint. — Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for influenced
  1. swayed
  2. affected
  3. convinced
  4. impacted
  5. distorted
  6. impressed
  7. predisposed
  8. touched
Adjective
  • One man who isn’t swayed is Japan’s richest investment mogul, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son.
    — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 16 July 2026
  • Most teams, in fact, decided from the start that pitchers were not in the best position and were liable to be too emotionally swayed to be entrusted with ABS challenges.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May 2026
Definition of swayed
Verb
  • As lieutenant governor, Stratton’s priorities included promoting equity in women’s health and leading a program aimed at putting tax dollars from cannabis sales into the communities most affected by the war on drugs.
    — Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The district covers much of western North Carolina, including Buncombe, Henderson, Haywood and Jackson counties, along with other mountain counties and a portion of Polk County, all of which were heavily affected by Hurricane Helene in 2024.
    — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of affected
Adjective
  • We’re convinced there’s never a bad time to have a cookie, and ALDI’s shelves are stocked with delicious options in a dizzying array of flavors.
    — Elliott Harrell, Southern Living, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Nine months ago, many football fans were convinced Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had played his last game.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of convinced
Verb
  • According to the company, about 65,000 California Community College student accounts were impacted by data changes, roughly 1,000 were accessed and 400 had financial aid refunds taken out.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The product, tech, legal and HR teams were among the most impacted by the cuts but huge names left the streamer including content chief Bela Bajaria and film boss Dan Lin.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of impacted
Adjective
  • Its songs are littered with black holes, disasters, nuclear bombs; there are guttural screams and onslaughts of distorted guitar.
    — Marissa Lorusso, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026
  • That mark gets repeats on the tongue tag and insole, the latter of which also features a distorted and distinct black and white graphic.
    — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of distorted
Verb
  • Despite his relative inexperience, Lindblad has impressed in his debut season.
    — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The only child of Anthony, a chiropractor, and Lorraine, who works in the tech industry, Ippolito was encouraged to audition for commercials after his baseball skills impressed a friend of his parents.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of impressed
Adjective
  • Some may find the value to be limited, especially if their dog or cat breed is younger or less predisposed to suffer from medical issues or ailments.
    — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Some people are more predisposed to being in a state of sustained levels of stress, such as individuals with neurodivergent brains – who also often also have sleep disorders.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of predisposed
Verb
  • Berkshire Hathaway Berkshire's A and B shares both touched fresh highs on Tuesday.
    — Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Our fans have touched our hearts and helped pull us together.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of touched

Browse Nearby Words

influence
influenced
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Cite this Entry

“Influenced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/influenced. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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