as in power
the ability to exert effort for the accomplishment of a task
the president pledged to put the full puissance of the nation into the war effort
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of puissance
The reboot arrives at the peak of reggaeton’s pop puissance, and rightfully incorporates a lot more of the genre and its offshoots — Latin trap included.
—
Washington Post, 26 Nov. 2021
Which of you has the puissance to short-term deep-six me?
—Henry Alford, The New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2021
The doctrine’s puissance lies in the separation of powers.
—Matt Ford, The New Republic, 14 Jan. 2020
Over the years, when French leaders have called for a Europe puissance (European power), this has often sounded suspiciously like code for French hegemonic ambitions.
—The Economist, 7 Nov. 2019
There was a time when Jupiter was the king of the gods, and any man who doubted his puissance was ipso facto a barbarian and an ignoramus.
—John E. McIntyre, baltimoresun.com, 29 Aug. 2017
Washington Post, 26 Nov. 2021
Which of you has the puissance to short-term deep-six me?
—Henry Alford, The New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2021
The doctrine’s puissance lies in the separation of powers.
—Matt Ford, The New Republic, 14 Jan. 2020
Over the years, when French leaders have called for a Europe puissance (European power), this has often sounded suspiciously like code for French hegemonic ambitions.
—The Economist, 7 Nov. 2019
There was a time when Jupiter was the king of the gods, and any man who doubted his puissance was ipso facto a barbarian and an ignoramus.
—John E. McIntyre, baltimoresun.com, 29 Aug. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puissance
Noun
-
The Stars’ 71 power-play goals ranked first in the NHL in 2025-26, and Johnston’s 27 were the second-most in a single season since the 2004-05 lockout.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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They're driven very much by power, domination, control.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Simpson doesn’t have the arm strength or size (6-foot-1, 210 pounds) of many top NFL quarterbacks, but the Rams apparently loved his technique and decision-making under pressure.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
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As their mutual competitiveness grows shockingly ugly, Niall learns to turn Ruben’s Samsonian strength and fury against him, knocking down the pillars of Ruben’s own life.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Just being able to be available every single day and also just bring energy and be a good clubhouse guy.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The ambiance and energy were incredible.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Puissance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puissance. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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