1
as in authoritative
having power over the minds or behavior of others
in light of the effect that they have had, religious leaders such as Jesus and Muḥammad must be regarded as among the most influential people ever
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in powerful
having great power or influence
a particularly influential politician got the team a new ballpark
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of influential
And Land, in recent years, has reëmerged as one of the most influential reactionary thinkers of our time.
—
James Duesterberg, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
Norcross, who served as executive chairman of the insurance firm Conner Strong & Buckelew, has been widely viewed as among the most influential unelected Democrats in the state.
—CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
Masamoto enjoys a strong relationship with Yu Darvish, who played for the Cubs and remains an influential figure among Japanese players.
—Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Weidlich’s research and the methods underlying Manuka’s layered material system have been influential across the visual effects industry and have allowed Wētā FX to raise the bar for photorealism.
—Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for influential
James Duesterberg, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
Norcross, who served as executive chairman of the insurance firm Conner Strong & Buckelew, has been widely viewed as among the most influential unelected Democrats in the state.
—CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
Masamoto enjoys a strong relationship with Yu Darvish, who played for the Cubs and remains an influential figure among Japanese players.
—Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Weidlich’s research and the methods underlying Manuka’s layered material system have been influential across the visual effects industry and have allowed Wētā FX to raise the bar for photorealism.
—Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for influential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for influential
Adjective
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That fluency can sound authoritative, even though AI is not assessing context or consequence.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The essay, included in Arendt’s epoch-making 1951 book, The Origins of Totalitarianism, would profoundly influence some of the most authoritative scholars of modern France.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But like the British wartime leader who also led his country’s fight against a bigger, more powerful enemy, Zelensky has made missteps along the way and his future looks increasingly uncertain as the war grinds on.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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What a trigger warning presumes is that readers are entitled to be protected before the fact from the possibility of powerful emotion, an odd entitlement at best and one that is seldom afforded to any being in the course of the rest of life.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
20 Feb. 2026
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Since Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy has been an enduring style icon since the ’90s, her fashion legacy was most important to protect.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Vogue,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Earlier this week, the UN Refugee agency said a significant number of residents had left Al-Hol camp, the other major detention camp in Syria, and that the Syrian government plans to relocate them.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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The direct meeting with Grossi is a significant step after Iran suspended all cooperation with the IAEA following the 12-day war in June with Israel.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The Americans stand one win from cementing a legacy as one of the most dominant women’s hockey teams.—
John Wawrow,
Hartford Courant,
18 Feb. 2026
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Southwest Airlines is the dominant carrier at Love Field and operates 18 of the airport’s 20 gates.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The sport, therefore, has a strong relationship with the military, with troops in such environments regularly skinning up mountains before skiing back down.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
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Officers reportedly detected a strong odor of alcohol emanating from the driver, later identified as Lisboa.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Influential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/influential. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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