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 The resulting anxiety and panic are an unfortunate side effect of a banner year for fireworks shows. — Bill Chappell, NPR, 28 June 2026 Mendez is in a special therapy program for patients who have aphasia, which is a common side effect of having a stroke. — Stephanie Stahl, CBS News, 26 June 2026 Companies with data as a strategic asset, not as a side effect of operations, will succeed much more easily with AI. — Pabitra Saikia, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 The most common side effect of magnesium supplements is diarrhea, which is more likely to occur at higher doses. — Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 23 June 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
  • Ultimately, Cramer said that if more businesses do not begin reporting tangible returns, the AI skeptics will grow louder, with ramifications for the tech industry’s big spenders.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 15 July 2026
  • The central theme was the figurative — and literal — significance of passing the ball, including asking audience members to ponder what their passing game is like and the ramifications of being a ball hog.
    — Vahe Gregorian July 10, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026
Definition of ramification
Noun
  • Because there are no other nearby heat generators, that energy must be residual aftereffects of an earlier era.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 1 July 2026
  • But its costs and aftereffects will likely linger for years.
    — Scott Horsley, NPR, 17 June 2026
Definition of aftereffect
Noun
  • For all their complexity, once built, data centers don't require a large workforce for operations, and don't always generate a huge number of new jobs or vast amounts of tax revenue.
    — Lora Kolodny,Jeniece Pettitt, CNBC, 16 July 2026
  • Network effects Birwadker believes that stablecoins will be central to the future of financial infrastructure and that, at this early stage, Visa must hide the technical complexity so customers can solely focus on the payment experience.
    — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 16 July 2026
Definition of complexity
Noun
  • 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
  • Previous studies have shown that hardware tailored for specific mathematical operations, such as Fourier and convolution transforms, can significantly outperform general-purpose processors.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 13 Jan. 2026
Definition of convolution
Noun
  • Several months later, the medical examiner updated its statement to say that laboratory tests showed that Trachtenberg died from complications of diabetes.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 17 July 2026
  • Writing Bobby was a refuge, a place to cast off the daily complications of experiencing the world in a woman’s body.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 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 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on side effect

Nglish: Translation of side effect for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about side effect

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