as in influential
having great power or influence
a powerful producer in the music business who is considered responsible for the careers of several superstars
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 powerful
At that time, State Attorney Barry Krischer was the most powerful figure in Palm Beach, having served for 13 years; the sheriff, Ric Bradshaw, who has now been in office for 22 years, was a close second.
—
Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026
Still, there’s distrust among some powerful people that the industry would put the desires of consumers ahead of its own mandate to earn returns for stakeholders.
—Alex Sherman, CNBC, 4 June 2026
Forecasters are predicting a particularly powerful El Niño next year.
—Daniel Alarcón, New Yorker, 4 June 2026
Adam does find his sword and returns to Eternia, fairly early in the film, to fulfill his destiny as a powerful warrior who (eventually) goes by the name of He-Man.
—Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for powerful
Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026
Still, there’s distrust among some powerful people that the industry would put the desires of consumers ahead of its own mandate to earn returns for stakeholders.
—Alex Sherman, CNBC, 4 June 2026
Forecasters are predicting a particularly powerful El Niño next year.
—Daniel Alarcón, New Yorker, 4 June 2026
Adam does find his sword and returns to Eternia, fairly early in the film, to fulfill his destiny as a powerful warrior who (eventually) goes by the name of He-Man.
—Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for powerful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for powerful
Adjective
-
Laura Loomer, an influential adviser to Trump, strongly opposes its closure.—
Eric Schlosser,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
-
Trump remains popular among his core supporters and influential for most Republican lawmakers, yet developments over the past two weeks have called into question his sway in the Senate in particular.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Xi’s reference to strengthening military exchanges with North Korea may signal a significant shift from its previous support of denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, according to Lim.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
Since 2022, the company has delivered more than $5bn in structural cost reductions while maintaining a strong balance sheet and generating significant cash flow.—
Sam Birchall,
Fortune,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
But despite a strong sporting heritage, Panama struggled to translate their success to the football pitch.—
Elias Burke,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
-
Most other Sacramento-area incumbents cruised to strong leads in their legislative races.—
Evelyn Ronan,
Sacbee.com,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
China is North Korea’s top economic lifeline, accounting for the vast majority of the country’s foreign trade, and has long ranked as Pyongyang’s most important diplomatic partner.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
5 June 2026
-
This year, owing to a mixup in the congressional budget, one of the government’s most important scholarships was left severely underfunded, depriving thousands of Peru’s neediest high-school graduates of the opportunity to continue their studies at local universities.—
Daniel Alarcón,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Powerful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/powerful. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
