as in influential
having great power or influence
a powerful producer in the music business who is considered responsible for the careers of several superstars
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Try This Instead
Try This InsteadFor
Try This
powerful groups
a powerful argument
a compelling argument
an influential argument
a convincing argument
an effective argument
a forceful argument
a powerful incentive
a potent incentive
a compelling incentive
a strong incentive
an effective incentive
a valuable incentive
a powerful weapon
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 powerful
Winds can be powerful enough to jostle cars, topple power lines and litter debris on the ground.
—
Brittney Melton, NPR, 4 Apr. 2025
The Tar Heels product is the type of runner Jim Harbaugh loves for his offense: north-to-south, powerful, ability to fight through tackles and pick up positive yardage.
—Fox News Staff, FOXNews.com, 4 Apr. 2025
The Trump administration has taken steps and made claims that clash with legal opinions issued by a traditionally powerful agency that is part of the Justice Department, the Office of Legal Counsel.
—Charlie Savage, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
Generosity is one of the most powerful ways to cultivate positive emotions.
—Shane Enete, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for powerful
Brittney Melton, NPR, 4 Apr. 2025
The Tar Heels product is the type of runner Jim Harbaugh loves for his offense: north-to-south, powerful, ability to fight through tackles and pick up positive yardage.
—Fox News Staff, FOXNews.com, 4 Apr. 2025
The Trump administration has taken steps and made claims that clash with legal opinions issued by a traditionally powerful agency that is part of the Justice Department, the Office of Legal Counsel.
—Charlie Savage, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
Generosity is one of the most powerful ways to cultivate positive emotions.
—Shane Enete, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for powerful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for powerful
Adjective
-
The 404 Collective was formed by some of Atlanta’s most influential voices, bringing together leaders from marketing, music, and cultural movements to shape the city's creative landscape.—
Cassell Ferere,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Confronting this shadowy threat to kids everywhere, Mani was named as one of TIME's most influential people in AI last year due to her advocacy fighting deepfakes.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The nonpartisan Tax Foundation said the average American household will pay $2,100 a year more for goods because of the significant universal and reciprocal tariffs Trump announced Wednesday.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Navigating a Complex Legal Landscape In recent months, the U.S. regulatory landscape has seen significant shifts concerning DEI initiatives.—
Jason Wingard,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
This results in a charge imbalance that builds up an electric field strong enough to trigger flashes of lightning.—
National Geographic,
National Geographic,
13 Jan. 2023
-
According to research from Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that advocates for gun control, strong gun control laws are correlated with fewer gun deaths.—
Elliot Hughes,
Journal Sentinel,
13 Jan. 2023
Adjective
-
But Williams hasn’t shown strong recruiting ties in Baltimore or Maryland, which is important in College Park, as evidenced by vocal responses from Len Elmore and Tom McMillen, and particularly on the heels of Derik Queen’s success.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
1 Apr. 2025
-
So coming to agreement sooner on appropriate guardrails is important.—
Steve Case,
Time,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Powerful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/powerful. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share