Definition of transformnext

Synonym Chooser

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 After a friend rescued two tons of leftover strawberries from the annual Mattituck Lions Strawberry Festival, Leslie transformed them into a juicy amaro that has since become Matchbook’s best-selling product. Molly Fergus, Travel + Leisure, 23 July 2026 At age 34, her work at the interface of two mathematical fields—taking collections of wavelike equations and using them to explore how shapes fill space—had already transformed both subjects. Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 23 July 2026 Since The Greatest Showman debuted in 2017, the duo has transformed red carpets into an extension of the stories the Emmy Award-winning actress is telling on screen. Amanda Le, InStyle, 23 July 2026 At the same time, the potential to transform the health, wealth, and well-being of the United States is unprecedented. Bryan Sivak, Fortune, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for transform
Recent Examples of Synonyms for transform
Verb
  • At 18, accounts can convert to a Roth IRA, allowing tax-free growth and withdrawals for qualified uses like higher education or a first home.
    Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • The rest are retrofits like my local theater — ordinary multiplex auditoriums Imax began converting in the mid-aughts, giving them somewhat bigger screens, upgraded sound, and hefty surcharges.
    Lane Brown, Vulture, 25 July 2026
Verb
  • The company plans to remodel about 10% of its roughly 1,200 domestic locations each year until all restaurants have been refreshed, a Chili's representative told Fox News Digital.
    Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026
  • Cracker Barrel stopped the updates in their tracks, reverting to its old logo and canceling plans to remodel restaurants.
    Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 27 July 2026
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
Verb
  • That bite and raw intensity produce some of the album’s standout moments, transmuting jungle’s physicality across a wide emotional range with poetic verve and Nia’s woody, vulnerable, yet strident timbre.
    Will Pritchard, Pitchfork, 20 July 2026
  • This is a lot about self-control transmuted into wellness as the outlet.
    Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 18 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Transform.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/transform. Accessed 30 Jul. 2026.

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