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 Johnson was suspended for 10 games by the NFL in 2016 for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. — ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026 Overconfidence may add risk Such user errors are an underappreciated danger of using these substances. — C. Michael White, The Conversation, 7 Aug. 2026 Although proponents say the substances help with weight loss, energy and muscle mass, and often cite research that has been done solely on animals or on a very small number of humans, no one knows for certain how or when it should be used in humans. — Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 Consumers must be vigilant, as these unapproved substances pose significant, often hidden, health risks. — Jesse M. Pines, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 The two men arrested were allegedly part of a gang that targets foreign citizens through digital dating platforms and supplies them with substances to steal their belongings and financial resources, per El Colombiano. — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026 The sheriff's office has investigated several similar cases at Burnt Cedar Beach since 2022 involving substances poured around the bases of trees or drilled into their roots. — Makena Locsin, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026 While cannabis and alcohol may seem to assist in sleep, these substances offer a cheap trick. — Joan M. Cook, Time, 31 July 2026 Environmental groups sent a letter threatening to file suit against Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport for spills of fuel, sewage and other substances into the Flint River and its tributaries over a period of years. — Kelly Yamanouchi, AJC.com, 30 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for substances

Noun

And now, the best toner pads have joined the other post-cleanse staples, including face essences and milky toners, to amplify the effects of your skin-care routine and deliver additional layers of hydration to skin.

— Deanna Pai, Vogue, 27 July 2026
In general, Daosist alchemy is understood as distilling elements of the world into potent spiritual essences.

— Michael Naparstek, The Conversation, 6 July 2026

Definition of essences

Noun

This difference of faith in the capabilities of competent government versus private entities has provided the space for the DSA to become more popular.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
Similarly operating without a commissioner to keep things on track and keep the greater good at the forefront, horse racing entities also solved only for themselves.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of entities

Noun

To break through the water’s tight molecular network, the escaping CO2 relies on nucleation sites—microscopic rough spots, impurities, or foreign objects that disrupt the arrangement of water molecules and allow gas molecules to easily cluster.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Aug. 2026
An executor may have a deadline and dozens or hundreds of objects to dispose of.

— Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of objects

Noun

The City of Atlanta and Fulton County’s Board of Commissioners have been trading negotiations over the sale of the Atlanta City Detention Center, and things have started to get ugly.

— AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 12 Aug. 2026
The month of August offers some respite, a chance to reflect and reset before September kicks things into gear once more.

— Sophie Lou Wilson, Vogue, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of things

Noun

Guzmán believes those political realities may prove just as important as the security challenges.

— Armando Regil Velasco, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Like many scientists working in government, Fauci understood there is often tension between science, policy and the practical realities of communicating with the public during a health crisis, Adams said.

— Michael Collins, USA Today, 7 Aug. 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 13 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of substances

noun

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