as in powerful
having great power or influence
one of the nation's most respected and puissant advocates for the rights of minorities
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Recent Examples of puissant
The show is light on tech, but the accompanying images (video design by Stefano DeCarli) pour through as addendums to Felder’s puissant passion of Liszt’s Liebesträume or Beethoven’s Für Elise and land with great effect.
—
David John Chávez, Mercury News, 30 Jan. 2026
Coffee gave us the Enlightenment, and insurance, and the most puissant bop of summer 2024.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 14 Oct. 2025
Quite the puissant power house—this wine includes aromas of lavender and cedar, rum, sultanas, treacle, black cherries, pine cones and orange rind, as well as tastes that include a raspberry flush and flavors of plums, cola, figs, cocoa and black pepper.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2021
David John Chávez, Mercury News, 30 Jan. 2026
Coffee gave us the Enlightenment, and insurance, and the most puissant bop of summer 2024.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 14 Oct. 2025
Quite the puissant power house—this wine includes aromas of lavender and cedar, rum, sultanas, treacle, black cherries, pine cones and orange rind, as well as tastes that include a raspberry flush and flavors of plums, cola, figs, cocoa and black pepper.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puissant
Adjective
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But at the same time, [the Gates Foundation’s spend-down announcement] has ended up being a very powerful call to action, both for our staff and for many of our partners.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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These concerns are sharpened by the shadow of Epstein, whose connections to powerful figures continue to surface.—
Lauryn Overhultz , Ashley Papa , Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Many consider Hunt to be the most well-rounded candidate, given her credentials as a former journalist, her familiarity with the BBC, track record of backing hits like Slow Horses and Sherlock, and her experience at one of the world’s most influential tech companies.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
5 Feb. 2026
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Online, conservatives have threatened to boycott the Super Bowl and the NFL more broadly, with influential voices like Newsmax host Greg Kelly and Tomi Lahren openly criticizing the league for choosing Bad Bunny as the performer.—
Lisa Respers France,
CNN Money,
5 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
Cite this Entry
“Puissant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puissant. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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