1
as in sways
the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly
a mayor who doesn't hesitate to use her influence to get business leaders behind civic improvements
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in effects
the power to bring about a result on another
the basic premise of astrology is that the position of the stars has an influence on human affairs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in affects
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
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Recent Examples of influences
Scott Warren, The Atlantic, 13 June 2026
Later, Juan-Carlos Chaurand joined FK Menace as part of Sin Tope, blending traditional Latin influences with contemporary sounds.
—J.m. Banks
june 12, Kansas City Star, 12 June 2026
So in Love [Geffen] Olivia Rodrigo made a name for herself as the pop star embracing ballads and bubblegrunge influences in equal doses.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 12 June 2026
Its mix of influences mirrors a World Cup hosted across North America and watched by billions around the world.
—Desjah Altvater, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Quaid performs with his band, Dennis Quaid & The Sharks, and has released multiple albums, blending rock, country and gospel influences.
—Ashley Hume , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
The series leans into different cinematic influences.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 10 June 2026
The discussion touched on everything from songwriting and film scoring to his childhood influences and creative process.
—Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
Alonetogether, an upscale restaurant from Houston chef Jonny Rhodes, has opened in Midtown with a menu rooted in Haitian-French-Creole cooking with Thai influences.
—Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 6 June 2026
Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 June 2026
El Niño is part of a large-scale climate pattern that influences weather around the globe.
—Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 12 June 2026
Raising benchmark rates influences what lenders charge throughout the economy, increasing the cost of borrowing money to buy things and thus dampening demand for goods.
—ABC News, 11 June 2026
This move aligns with broader trends in women’s wellness, where demand for integrative, preventive approaches to intimate health is rising amid greater awareness of how microbiome health influences everything from comfort and intimacy to overall quality of life.
—Tanya Akim, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Because Black culture influences all cultures, and it’s also influenced by all cultures.
—Jeff Ihaza, VIBE.com, 11 June 2026
That perspective influences those companies' innovation strategies, according to Katz-Mayfield.
—Amelia Lucas,melissa Repko, CNBC, 7 June 2026
The brain influences the body’s response to nerves as much as that of the mind.
—Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 3 June 2026
The venue influences almost every floral decision, including scale, logistics, and cost.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 1 June 2026
Noun
Our research suggests that activists seeking to protect American democracy from authoritarian influences are pursuing a failing strategy.
—Scott Warren, The Atlantic, 13 June 2026
Later, Juan-Carlos Chaurand joined FK Menace as part of Sin Tope, blending traditional Latin influences with contemporary sounds.
—J.m. Banks
june 12, Kansas City Star, 12 June 2026
So in Love [Geffen] Olivia Rodrigo made a name for herself as the pop star embracing ballads and bubblegrunge influences in equal doses.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 12 June 2026
Its mix of influences mirrors a World Cup hosted across North America and watched by billions around the world.
—Desjah Altvater, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Quaid performs with his band, Dennis Quaid & The Sharks, and has released multiple albums, blending rock, country and gospel influences.
—Ashley Hume , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
The series leans into different cinematic influences.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 10 June 2026
The discussion touched on everything from songwriting and film scoring to his childhood influences and creative process.
—Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
Alonetogether, an upscale restaurant from Houston chef Jonny Rhodes, has opened in Midtown with a menu rooted in Haitian-French-Creole cooking with Thai influences.
—Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 6 June 2026
Verb
Weather also influences how much local governments will dig into tax revenues to shield us, including building stronger infrastructure to better direct the flow of stormwater, assembling emergency management teams and equipment, and organizing shelters.
—Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 June 2026
El Niño is part of a large-scale climate pattern that influences weather around the globe.
—Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 12 June 2026
Raising benchmark rates influences what lenders charge throughout the economy, increasing the cost of borrowing money to buy things and thus dampening demand for goods.
—ABC News, 11 June 2026
This move aligns with broader trends in women’s wellness, where demand for integrative, preventive approaches to intimate health is rising amid greater awareness of how microbiome health influences everything from comfort and intimacy to overall quality of life.
—Tanya Akim, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Because Black culture influences all cultures, and it’s also influenced by all cultures.
—Jeff Ihaza, VIBE.com, 11 June 2026
That perspective influences those companies' innovation strategies, according to Katz-Mayfield.
—Amelia Lucas,melissa Repko, CNBC, 7 June 2026
The brain influences the body’s response to nerves as much as that of the mind.
—Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 3 June 2026
The venue influences almost every floral decision, including scale, logistics, and cost.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for influences
Noun
-
Another loophole Trump leverages to achieve his all-encompassing power grab is the National Emergencies Act.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
9 June 2026
-
According to Easter, each of the 33 cocktails on the menu leverages a bottle with a story behind it, and the staff is prepared to regale you with their histories.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
The measure, placed on the ballot by the county Board of Supervisors, asks voters to support the sales tax increase to help stave off the effects of federal Medi-Cal cuts affecting county healthcare facilities.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
10 June 2026
-
Researchers also observed an initial increase in disciplinary incidents and a temporary decline in student well-being as schools adjusted to the new rules, though those effects eased over time.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
That down-to-the-toes level of care is a feature of a program that has transformed the way MLK Community Healthcare treats diabetes, a chronic condition that affects one in every six South Los Angeles residents and nearly a quarter of MLK’s outpatients.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
-
The condition primarily affects babies under one year of age because their immune systems are still developing.—
Victoria Forster,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
Guerrero Flores was charged in a New York federal court with racketeering conspiracy and other crimes, including lending support to terrorists in crimes that stretched more than a decade, authorities announced in December.—
Will Weissert,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
-
Midland Mayor Lori Blong said authorities confirmed that the shooter had been killed via footage from a robot and drone.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
In June 2025, the union representing state engineers sued the Newsom administration alleging that the order violated state labor law by failing to confer with the union over its impacts.—
Kassia Bonesteel,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
-
The city of Durham enacted a 60-day moratorium in May after residents also cited concerns about environmental impacts.—
Mary Ramsey
Updated June 8,
Charlotte Observer,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
What impresses Dubi most, however, is not Gasol's fame but his leadership style.—
Tim Genske,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
What impresses us most is the consistency and the attention to detail.—
Charles Usher,
Midwest Living,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
One simple explanation for Wyoming wolves having heavier weights, as wildlife managers point out in their report, is that most states just aren’t tracking wolf size as closely.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
11 June 2026
-
Hold the weights in place with your hands.—
Jenessa Connor,
Health,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The storyline parallels government cover-up narratives from the past (Pentagon Papers/Watergate) and today (Epstein Files), and touches on our current dehumanizing immigration policies.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
9 June 2026
-
The research touches on the term benchmaxing, which is the practice of inflating AI benchmark scores not through better models, but through better server configurations.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Influences.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/influences. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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