1
as in romance
also affaire
a brief romantic relationship
an affair between two singles spending the summer at the same beach resort
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in event
a social gathering
the annual country club dance is a really fancy affair
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in production
something produced by physical or intellectual effort
the lead float in the parade was a pretty impressive affair, a giant eagle's head with equally huge wings
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in incident
something that happens
the whole affair from start to finish took a total of 15 minutes
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in matter
something to be dealt with
it's none of your affair whom I'm going out with tonight
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 affair
The two-day family-friendly affair has a lineup of exciting events, including a chili cook-off and a monster lake plunge, plus the chance to try your hand at cross-country skiing, tubing, or snowmobiling at Beaver Creek Lodge in Garden City.
—
Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 13 July 2025
Trump also inserted himself into Israel’s domestic affairs, calling for Netanyahu’s yearslong corruption trial to be thrown out.
—Joseph Krauss, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
The trove included 16th-century records of clandestine government affairs, a 15th-century letter from a knight and documents from the Dutch East India Company.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 July 2025
Turner spent a decade in Indiana, but the NBA's two-time blocks leader seemed to be at an impasse with his state of affairs in Indianapolis.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for affair
Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 13 July 2025
Trump also inserted himself into Israel’s domestic affairs, calling for Netanyahu’s yearslong corruption trial to be thrown out.
—Joseph Krauss, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
The trove included 16th-century records of clandestine government affairs, a 15th-century letter from a knight and documents from the Dutch East India Company.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 July 2025
Turner spent a decade in Indiana, but the NBA's two-time blocks leader seemed to be at an impasse with his state of affairs in Indianapolis.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for affair
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affair
Noun
-
His middle name is shared with the son and heir of Parzival, the knight of the Holy Grail in German Arthurian romance.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
-
Written and created by Girls autour Dunham, the show is loosely based on her own romance with husband and series co-creator, Luis Felber.—
Katie Mannion,
People.com,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
These events have become more frequent in recent years with the proliferation of personal devices powered by lithium-ion batteries, such as laptops, tablets, cell phones, vape pens and portable chargers.—
Suzanne Rowan Kelleher,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
-
The event will begin the evening of Sept. 8 with an industry dinner and cocktail.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
This is the strongest sucker and can be left as a secondary shoot for fruit production.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
5 July 2025
-
The Royals continue to search for outfield production as the trade deadline looms at the end of the month.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
5 July 2025
Noun
-
Anyone with information about the incident has been asked to contact Trumbull police at 203-261-3665.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
15 July 2025
-
Allegations of the incident being an elaborate hoax arose later that night, following the family's interview on Larry King Live.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
Every one of the strikeouts Padres relief pitcher Jason Adam hurls matters.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 July 2025
-
But before that could happen, some practical matters needed to be resolved.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
That injury adds another layer of intrigue to what was already a compelling matchup.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 July 2025
-
Much of the intrigue around Lohner is projecting — a word Payton tossed out after the Broncos drafted him.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
Many of the states are also parties to litigation filed earlier this year contesting layoffs at the federal agency and the White House's efforts to rollback diversity programming.—
July 14,
CBS News,
14 July 2025
-
Food waste after a party or outdoor snacking session can begin to rot and smell, which won’t be pleasant for you or your neighbors.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
New York selected the Ohio State product with the No. 10 overall selection of the 2022 NFL Draft.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
15 July 2025
-
Vogue may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
15 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Affair.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affair. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share