SUBSTANCES Synonyms: 44 Similar and Opposite Words

substances

noun

plural of substance

as in essences

the quality or qualities that make a thing what it is tireless caring and nurturing that was the very substance of maternal love

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in entities

one that has a real and independent existence the question of whether the soul is a substance entirely independent of the body

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

nonentities

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 substances Research has shown that mixing ketamine with other substances such as alcohol can be dangerous, potentially leading to problems including respiratory depression, where breathing becomes dangerously slow or shallow. — Violet Jira, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026 These substances can increase risk during pregnancy, and their use by parents and other caregivers can impair their ability to wake up and respond to an infant. — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026 Others who express hesitation or opposition to bans often cite the risk of sending people who are dependent on 7-OH into withdrawal, and potentially leading them to other, more dangerous substances. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 30 Sep. 2026 People tend to think of waste as trash, sewage, slag, manure and other seemingly useless or disgusting substances. — Edward D. Melillo, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026 The membership, which is invite-only, can include procedures like plasma exchange, which involves having your blood removed and separated from harmful substances like abnormal proteins before it is returned to the body. — Renée Onque, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026 The Joint Chiefs of Staff said forensic analysis detected TNT and unidentified brown substances on a bulletproof helmet, protective vests and rifles belonging to soldiers involved in the operation. — ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026 Mixing bleach with other substances (such as rubbing alcohol, vinegar and ammonia) can lead to toxic chemical reactions that can be dangerous to your health and floors. — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2026 The Greenville County Coroner's Office later ruled her death an accident caused by the toxic effects of fentanyl and several other substances. — Megan Vick, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for substances

Noun

Wittgenstein proposed to abandon the appeal to essences for the concept of family resemblance.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
To experience a thicker, chewier noodle, order the tsukemen (dipping-style ramen) with a broth, as dense as gravy, fusing the essences of pork, chicken and fish.

— Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of essences

Noun

Enetec was sanctioned in July under a presidential executive order authorizing sanctions to Cuban entities posing a direct threat to national security or involved in repression.

— Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
Private equity firms also sometimes own both physician staffing firms and Independent Dispute Resolution entities, creating a conflict of interest and undermining the law's fairness.

— Anna Schecter, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of entities

Noun

Dark matter and dark energy, also not yet directly observed, together are the source of the vast majority of energy in the universe, but their physical natures are unknown.

— Don Figer, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026
Create characters built around lifepaths, natures, clan traits, and merits.

— Jennifer Maas, Variety, 30 July 2026

Definition of natures

Noun

Building conventional simulations for robot testing can be time-consuming and costly, Taiuti said, requiring developers to create three-dimensional objects and configure scenes.

— Wen Shao, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2026
Presbyopia — the gradual loss of the ability to focus on nearby objects — commonly develops in middle age and often leads to the need for reading glasses.

— Angelica Stabile , Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of objects

Noun

After things go awry in the Congo, the family in The Poisonwood Bible dissolves readily.

— Sam Worley, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
In some ways, things have changed considerably for Reid over the last year after the television adaptation of her 2019 novel, Heated Rivalry, became a cultural phenomena.

— Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of things

Noun

The technique requires hypervigilance to the present moment, yet is cultivated through thought exercises that evoke alloyed realities, as through a mixed-reality headset.

— Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Instead, the issue was, along with a learning gap, that tools failed to retain context, adapt to feedback and fit the specific realities of enterprise workflows.

— Abhishek Yadav, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of realities

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substance

substances

substandard

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“Substances.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substances. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of substances

noun

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