Word.ws English Dictionary

How to use influence in a sentence

40 example sentences · noun, verb

Influence means the power to affect, control or manipulate something or someone; the ability to change the development of fluctuating things such as conduct, thoughts or decisions. Example: “I have absolutely no influence over him.”

Examples of influence by meaning

nounThe power to affect, control or manipulate something or someone; the ability to change the development of fluctuating...

  • I have absolutely no influence over him.
  • The use of algorithms in policing is one example of their increasing influence on our lives.2013 July 26, Leo Hickman, “How algorithms rule the world”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 7, page 26

nounAn action exerted by a person or thing with such power on another to cause change.

  • I'm not able to exercise influence over him.
  • Its policy agenda is based on the principle that Earth must 'stand firm' against alien influences.2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Terra Firma Party Codex entry

nounA person or thing exerting such power or action.

  • He has been a great influence on the voters during the elections.
  • It seemed to them as though Snowball were some kind of invisible influence, pervading the air about them and menacing them with all kinds of dangers.1943 November – 1944 February (date written; published 1945 August 17), George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], Animal Farm […]...
  • Many genes with reproductive roles also have antibacterial and immune functions, which indicate that the threat of microbial attack on the sperm or egg may be a major influence on rapid evolution during reproduction.2013 May-June, Katrina G. Claw, “Rapid Evolution in Eggs and Sperm”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3

verbTo have an effect on by using gentle or subtle action; to exert an influence upon; to modify, bias, or sway; to...

  • The politician wants to influence the public.
  • I must admit that this book influenced my outlook on life.

More sentences with influence

  • The American Revolution has influenced every democratic process in Europe since the 19th c.From the entry have
  • Houses in New Mexico, California and Florida exhibit a strong Hispanic architectural influence.From the entry Hispanic
  • The spelling in 'sovereign' was influenced by folk-etymology association with 'reign'.From the entry folk etymology
  • He considered exerting his influence on John to gain an advantage for himself.From the entry exert
  • A large portion of modern popular music is influenced by the blues.From the entry blues
  • The vocabulary of any language is influenced by contacts with other cultures.From the entry vocabulary
  • Thai culture as in many other Asian cultures, is succumbing to the influence of westernization.From the entry succumb
  • I want to get rid of your influence over my life!From the entry get rid of
  • The influence of the tobacco lobby has decreased considerably in the US.From the entry lobby
  • He was fired for showing up when he was under the influence.From the entry under the influence
  • The sense of smell can be a subconscious influence on our actions.From the entry subconscious
  • Wastewater is any water that has been adversely affected in quality by anthropogenic influence.From the entry anthropogenic
  • They may be a rock band, but their retro style shows a heavy Motown influence.From the entry Motown
  • Their residential design is strongly influenced by Prairie and Usonian architecture.From the entry usonian
  • Apart from genetics the mesology bears a great influence on the physical body.From the entry mesology
  • My father was a strong influence on me.From the entry father
  • He is an influence for good on those girls.From the entry good
  • Mariah Carey's new CD has some R'n'B influences.From the entry cd
  • He was a tool of a foreign influence operation.From the entry tool
  • The weed has a pernicious influence on local crops.From the entry pernicious
  • The investigation tending to negate any supernatural influences.From the entry negate
  • His authority and influence over his coordinates broke down gradually.From the entry break down
  • He was arrested for driving under the influence.From the entry under the influence
  • Any attempt by an entrant to influence the result or subvert the contest will lead to immediate disqualification.From the entry entrant
  • An abstentionist only has influence through public opinion.From the entry abstentionist
  • Their legacies continue to influence us all today.From the entry legacies
  • Patterns of glaciation have been orbitally influenced.From the entry orbitally
  • Every guruship carries great influence, hence significant responsibilities.From the entry guruship
  • Because of the influence of the Gulf Stream, Murmansk is a warm-water port despite being above the Arctic Circle.From the entry warm-water port
  • The young pantheon had remanded their elders to the role of smouldering, chthonic gods; to inhabiting dark, deep places, hidden from mortal eyes and influence.From the entry chthonic
  • Out of all the factors that can influence a person’s decision, none can match the power of his or her own volition.From the entry volition

Meaning of influence

  1. noun The power to affect, control or manipulate something or someone; the ability to change the development of fluctuating things such as conduct, thoughts or decisions.
  2. noun An action exerted by a person or thing with such power on another to cause change.
  3. noun A person or thing exerting such power or action.

Full definition of influence

Questions about influence in a sentence

How do you use influence in a sentence?
Influence is used as a noun and verb. For example: “I have absolutely no influence over him.”
What is a short sentence with influence?
“I have absolutely no influence over him.”
What does influence mean?
Influence means the power to affect, control or manipulate something or someone; the ability to change the development of fluctuating things such as conduct, thoughts or decisions.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: influence (page history and authors) and the entries each sentence comes from. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws chose the sentences, left out offensive ones and quotations older than 1900, and marked the word in each. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “How to use influence in a sentence.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/sentences/influence. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.