as in looks
the outward form of someone or something especially as indicative of a quality
the orchestra's musical director has a very stately presence
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Recent Examples of presences
Troopers will also maintain visible presences around holiday events, crowded shopping venues and large public gatherings.
—
Jackie Zhou, NBC news, 16 Dec. 2025
By virtue of playing characters who are constantly being underestimated and therefore must prove themselves, female leads Fujisaki and Kiyohara have the most dynamic roles and are therefore the most compelling presences.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 12 Nov. 2025
Folks who may have been fleeting presences, or reduced to talking heads in tiny squares on a group Zoom — like the secretary of defense (Jared Harris) or a fresh-faced deputy national security adviser (The Night Agent‘s Gabriel Basso) — become lead protagonists.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
Hugh Jackman and Neil Patrick Harris have Instagram presences, but Chu doesn’t follow either of them, and vice versa.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
Castle Hill Inn is said to be haunted by a female ghost, and whispers have been heard and presences have been felt at The Jailhouse Inn, which served its namesake purpose from 1772 to 1986.
—Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025
Barkov and Tkachuk are two of Florida’s biggest presences in that regard, Barkov in a show-don’t-tell fashion with his work ethic and Tkachuk vocally.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
The veteran presences of Allisha Gray, Brittney Griner, Brionna Jones and Jordin Canada should ensure Atlanta’s main-stage readiness.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Times Square already has one of the highest police presences in the city and the country, with mixed results — why will your initiatives work better than what’s already in place?
—Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 10 Sep. 2025
Jackie Zhou, NBC news, 16 Dec. 2025
By virtue of playing characters who are constantly being underestimated and therefore must prove themselves, female leads Fujisaki and Kiyohara have the most dynamic roles and are therefore the most compelling presences.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 12 Nov. 2025
Folks who may have been fleeting presences, or reduced to talking heads in tiny squares on a group Zoom — like the secretary of defense (Jared Harris) or a fresh-faced deputy national security adviser (The Night Agent‘s Gabriel Basso) — become lead protagonists.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
Hugh Jackman and Neil Patrick Harris have Instagram presences, but Chu doesn’t follow either of them, and vice versa.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
Castle Hill Inn is said to be haunted by a female ghost, and whispers have been heard and presences have been felt at The Jailhouse Inn, which served its namesake purpose from 1772 to 1986.
—Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025
Barkov and Tkachuk are two of Florida’s biggest presences in that regard, Barkov in a show-don’t-tell fashion with his work ethic and Tkachuk vocally.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
The veteran presences of Allisha Gray, Brittney Griner, Brionna Jones and Jordin Canada should ensure Atlanta’s main-stage readiness.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Times Square already has one of the highest police presences in the city and the country, with mixed results — why will your initiatives work better than what’s already in place?
—Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for presences
Noun
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Apostel included several selfies of herself and Cruz showing off their sophisticated looks.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
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The Tease… Without the Payoff Throughout the night, Grande, Erivo, and the cast teased exclusive looks at new film clips and musical moments — but the live audience didn’t end up seeing them.—
Haley Kluge,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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People incorrectly assumed others in their party held extreme views about wolves, and those assumptions in turn shaped their own attitudes toward the species.—
Justin Angle,
The Conversation,
6 Jan. 2026
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The report reflects changing attitudes about health and new tools that Americans are increasingly relying upon to make meaningful improvements to their well-being.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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First-team appearances came in the National League Cup ties against the under-21 side of Leeds United from the Premier League and second-division Middlesbrough, and dual-registration rules allowed Gjoshe to link up with Bottesford last month.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025
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Magistrates typically conduct initial appearances for defendants, while also performing tasks such as setting release conditions for non-capital offenses and issuing arrest warrants.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Western counterparts often acknowledge them privately, even as public backlash from some European institutions and media figures ensued against Rubio’s candor.—
Daniel Ross Goodman,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
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The Mean Green’s best football season ever wasn’t even over before the major figures from that team left, or announced their intentions to bounce ASAP; when the season did end, moments after UNT defeated San Diego State to win the New Mexico Bowl, is when the great Denton flood began.—
Mac Engel
January 9,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Judith Martin's Miss Manners column has chronicled the continuous rise and fall of American manners since 1978.—
Judith Martin,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Jan. 2026
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This Is the Way to Tea Party From setting the table to greeting guests, Cece teaches her friends how to use their best manners while enjoying a tea party.—
Alex Vance,
Parents,
2 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Because of delays, Peter, having committed to spending a year in Israel, turned to me to manage all aspects of this sprawling project.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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Osaki grew up in a multigenerational home with traditional Japanese American grandparents whose emphasis on achievement seeped into all aspects of life.—
Lynda Lin Grigsby,
Parents,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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While a dog can be bribed with a squeaky toy and a pig would surely look at the camera when enticed with a sausage on a stick, cats are known for their admirably self-serving demeanors.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
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In many ways their demeanors couldn’t be more different.—
Joseph Howlett,
Quanta Magazine,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Presences.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/presences. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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