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
First presented to modernist pioneer Philip Johnson in 1979, the annual award has since honored many of the profession’s most influential figures, including the late Zaha Hadid, Norman Foster and Rem Koolhaas.
—
Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
The world’s most influential natural weather feature is coming in for a landing.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026
Inarguably, Swift is the most influential NFL WAG the league has ever seen.
—Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
Dan Hilferty, chairman and CEO of Comcast Spectacor and governor of the Philadelphia Flyers, is a husband, father and grandfather and a respected and influential business leader.
—Joe Holden, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for influential
Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
The world’s most influential natural weather feature is coming in for a landing.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026
Inarguably, Swift is the most influential NFL WAG the league has ever seen.
—Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
Dan Hilferty, chairman and CEO of Comcast Spectacor and governor of the Philadelphia Flyers, is a husband, father and grandfather and a respected and influential business leader.
—Joe Holden, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for influential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for influential
Adjective
-
The foundation of San Diego’s fast start has been an organized, increasingly authoritative defensive spine led by Christopher McVey, Manu Duah and Kieran Sargeant.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
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That decline in leadership shows up in authoritative surveys like the Pew Research Center’s benchmark poll, which finds that trust in government to do what’s right is hovering near historic lows.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Yet launching a conversation around mental health with an audience magnet as powerful as Radcliffe is on balance an excellent thing.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
But generating stable and powerful light in this region has proven difficult because most materials strongly absorb it.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The team found a major levoglucosan peak centered around 1128 CE, coinciding with a similar peak recorded from the Schwarzboden mire peat core, another important reservoir of atmospheric history sampled about 12 miles southeast of Weißseespitze.—
Nidhi Sharma,
Popular Science,
13 Mar. 2026
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An important clue came in 2010, when another team at Yale published a study of how ketamine affected the brain cells of rats.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
That’s a significant detail, because many of them are agreeing to go on with suits.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
In an unusual show of support for someone convicted of such a significant crime, about 50 people attended Lauer’s sentencing hearing on Monday, including his sister, children, two rabbis and members of his religious congregation.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Prior to the start of the current conflict, the IRGC was one of the most powerful organizations in the country, playing a dominant role in both internal domestic security and regional power projection.—
Mike Brest,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Mar. 2026
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Redick has a steadfast belief that the Lakers can turn heads in the West, starting with their comfortable, even dominant, victories over the New York Knicks and Timberwolves in back-to-back games while winning six of their past seven contests.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The strong currents from flash floods can pull drivers off roadways.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Tokyo has shown no interest in military involvement, but some experts believe the conflict could bolster Takaichi's push for a stronger military and expanded weapons sales.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Influential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/influential. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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