side effect

noun

variants also side reaction
Definition of side effectnext
as in ramification

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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 side effect With more widespread use, however, a rare, life-threatening side effect known as agranulocytosis (a severe reduction in white blood cells) emerged, prompting clozapine’s withdrawal from the market. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026 The flick follows an elder antique trader who dredges up a 500-year-old artifact that invigorates him with youth but has the unfortunate side effect of turning him into a vampire. — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 Treatment for Tardive Dyskinesia Tardive dyskinesia is a movement disorder that can develop as a side effect of antipsychotics. — Heidi Moawad, Verywell Health, 26 Sep. 2026 One side effect of this is a new distance from OpenAI, in addition to its existing chilly relationship with Anthropic, and from the growing number of AI employees in Silicon Valley who also support the calls for a slowdown. — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for side effect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for side effect
  1. ramification
  2. aftereffect
  3. complexity
  4. convolution
  5. complication
Noun
  • Eliminating the biannual clock change in favor of permanent daylight saving time would bring separate health ramifications, Rowley said.
    — Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
  • This almost feels criminal to make both fanbases wake up this early for a top-25 showdown with CFP ramifications.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of ramification
Noun
  • Diesel fuel has been setting nominal record highs – an aftereffect of rising global oil prices as well as a supply bottleneck from refineries damaged by the wars in Ukraine and Iran.
    — Natasha Chen, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Nor has Erica’s return to duty silenced the aftereffects of her time with the Gorn.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of aftereffect
Noun
  • But Idaho physicians told the Statesman that those exceptions often do not exist in practice — in large part because legal language is ill-suited to capture the complexities of medical care.
    — Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Sarah Polley brought Miriam Toews’s heartbreaking novel to the big screen with great care and without compromising its complexity.
    — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of complexity
Noun
  • Because of this, the resulting code tends to exhibit redundancy and convolution and to lack a unified engineering standard.
    — Ihor Hamal, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • In their alternating waves of resentment and understanding, anger and sorrow, D’Arcy and Cooke imbue Rhaenyra and Alicent’s dynamic with all the weight of this history and none of its convolutions.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 15 June 2026
Definition of convolution
Noun
  • Research suggests standard time better aligns with our circadian rhythm, or internal clock, and reduces the risk of health complications.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Earlier this month, Ric-Man Construction Florida sued Miami Beach, saying delays caused by the city and other complications have cost the company nearly $21 million, according to a claim summary attached to the lawsuit.
    — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of complication

Browse Nearby Words

sided (with)
side effect
side effects
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Cite this Entry

“Side effect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/side%20effect. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about side effect

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