Thesaurus results for TRANSFORM

Q: How is the word 'transform' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of transform are convert , metamorphose , transfigure , transmogrify , and transmute . While all these words mean "to change a thing into a different thing," transform implies a major change in form, nature, or function. // transformed a small company into a corporate giant

Q: When would 'convert' be a good substitute for 'transform'?

The words convert and transform are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, convert implies a change fitting something for a new or different use or function. // converted the study into a nursery

Q: When is 'metamorphose' a more appropriate choice than 'transform'?

While the synonyms metamorphose and transform are close in meaning, metamorphose suggests an abrupt or startling change induced by or as if by magic or a supernatural power. // awkward girls metamorphosed into graceful ballerinas

Q: When is it sensible to use 'transfigure' instead of 'transform'?

The words transfigure and transform can be used in similar contexts, but transfigure implies a change that exalts or glorifies. // joy transfigured her face

Q: When might 'transmogrify' be a better fit than 'transform'?

In some situations, the words transmogrify and transform are roughly equivalent. However, transmogrify suggests a strange or preposterous metamorphosis. // a story in which a frog is transmogrified into a prince

Q: When can 'transmute' be used instead of 'transform'?

The synonyms transmute and transform are sometimes interchangeable, but transmute implies transforming into a higher element or thing. // attempted to transmute lead into gold

transform

verb

tran(t)s-ˈfȯrm

Definition of transform

as in to convert

to change in form, appearance, or use by clicking a few buttons, this toy car can be transformed into a robot

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How is the word transform different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of transform are convert, metamorphose, transfigure, transmogrify, and transmute. While all these words mean "to change a thing into a different thing," transform implies a major change in form, nature, or function.

transformed a small company into a corporate giant

When would convert be a good substitute for transform?

The words convert and transform are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, convert implies a change fitting something for a new or different use or function.

converted the study into a nursery

When is metamorphose a more appropriate choice than transform?

While the synonyms metamorphose and transform are close in meaning, metamorphose suggests an abrupt or startling change induced by or as if by magic or a supernatural power.

awkward girls metamorphosed into graceful ballerinas

When is it sensible to use transfigure instead of transform?

The words transfigure and transform can be used in similar contexts, but transfigure implies a change that exalts or glorifies.

joy transfigured her face

When might transmogrify be a better fit than transform?

In some situations, the words transmogrify and transform are roughly equivalent. However, transmogrify suggests a strange or preposterous metamorphosis.

a story in which a frog is transmogrified into a prince

When can transmute be used instead of transform?

The synonyms transmute and transform are sometimes interchangeable, but transmute implies transforming into a higher element or thing.

attempted to transmute lead into gold

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 transform Last year, inspired in part by Northern California’s Sea Ranch community, the firm worked with a creative couple to transform a postmodern Seattle property into a modern cabin in the woods. — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2026 Casparina, from Indonesian filmmaker Reza Rahadian, received the CJ ENM Award for transforming the director’s most personal story into a family drama with universal emotional resonance. — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026 Amanda McGuckin Hager is CMO and CRO at TrueDialog, an enterprise SMS platform transforming how organizations connect with customers. — Amanda McGuckin Hager, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026 But by the end of the evening, they would be transformed by it. — Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for transform

Recent Examples of Synonyms for transform

Verb

That means the Heat will need to choose whether to convert one of its Exhibit 10 contract players to a two-way deal or waive them to transition them to its G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
Swiss company Metafuels is working to convert clean electricity into jet fuel, while RIFT and Enerin, based in the Netherlands and Norway respectively, are delivering high-temperature industrial heat from electrons instead of gas.

— Sophie Dembinski, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of convert

Verb

The expectations are there for the Bengals, which remodeled their defense and offensive line with the goal of making another Super Bowl run during the Burrow era.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
Designed in the mid-1990s by architect Steven Ehrlich and later remodeled by interior designer Michael Lee, the residence offers four bedrooms and six bathrooms in roughly 6,500 square feet.

— Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of remodel

Verb

But the filmmaker’s imagination transfigures personal history into something not of this world, wholly original, and uniquely demented.

— Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
Altman is the defendant in the case brought by Musk, who’s claiming that OpenAI illegally betrayed the company’s non-profit founding by transfiguring into a for-profit company last year.

— Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 7 May 2026

Definition of transfigure

Verb

Despite the fact that slavery had been abolished, it was transmuted into a different form, one that America continued to exploit to expand its wealth and industry.

— Leslie Pariseau, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026
The regime transmuted its coercive force into political legitimacy through the spectacular destruction of dissident bodies, restoring reverence for the Eagle.

— Abdelrahman ElGendy, Time, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of transmute

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“Transform.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/transform. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of transform

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