touch 1 of 2

verb

ˈtəch How to pronounce touch (audio)
Definition of touchnext
1
as in to feel
to come into bodily contact with (something) so as to perceive a slight pressure on the skin be careful not to touch this pan—it's still hot

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2
as in to influence
to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response your speech on the true meaning of patriotism touched me deeply

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to taint
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable unfortunately, his insufferable arrogance tends to touch even the good deeds that he does

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to join
to be adjacent to our property touches theirs right where that big elm tree is

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5
as in to affect
to be the business or affair of I don't think this decision touches you, so butt out

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touch

2 of 2

noun

1
as in contact
the state or fact of being able to exchange information regarding one's current situation everyone promised to keep in touch over the summer

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2
as in splash
a very small amount added just a touch of parsley to the dish

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in feature
something that sets apart an individual from others of the same kind each designer has his or her own personal touches

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4
as in hint
an almost imperceptible sign of something a touch of irritation tinged his voice as the candidate fielded yet another question about his personal finances

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb touch differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of touch are affect, impress, influence, strike, and sway. While all these words mean "to produce or have an effect upon," touch may carry a vivid suggestion of close contact and may connote stirring, arousing, or harming.

plants touched by frost
his emotions were touched by her distress

When can affect be used instead of touch?

The words affect and touch are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, affect implies the action of a stimulus that can produce a response or reaction.

the sight affected her to tears

Where would impress be a reasonable alternative to touch?

The meanings of impress and touch largely overlap; however, impress stresses the depth and persistence of the effect.

only one of the plans impressed him

When could influence be used to replace touch?

The synonyms influence and touch are sometimes interchangeable, but influence implies a force that brings about a change (as in nature or behavior).

our beliefs are influenced by our upbringing

When is strike a more appropriate choice than touch?

While in some cases nearly identical to touch, strike, similar to but weaker than impress, may convey the notion of sudden sharp perception or appreciation.

struck by the solemnity of the occasion

When is it sensible to use sway instead of touch?

Although the words sway and touch have much in common, sway implies the acting of influences that are not resisted or are irresistible, with resulting change in character or course of action.

politicians who are swayed by popular opinion

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 touch
Verb
According to a statement by researchers, the robot’s controller uses information such as body orientation, joint angles, and whether each leg is touching the ground. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026 Experts advise the public to admire them from a distance and not touch them, like with any wildlife. — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun
At this point in the draft, every RB has questions, but volume remains king, and Harvey could be in a frustrating battle for touches all season. — Jonathan Rubin, Charlotte Observer, 26 Aug. 2026 Jenda Alcorn styled Fanning’s hair straight and down with a black scarf adding an Old Hollywood touch. — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for touch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touch
  1. feel
  2. influence
  3. taint
  4. join
  5. affect
  6. contact
  7. splash
  8. feature
Verb
  • Still, there’s something about going back to basics at the dawn of a new season that feels especially right.
    — Laura Jackson, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The Bengals cut the roster down to 53 players on Sunday and there weren’t many surprises in a year where continuity and depth made only a few spots truly feel open to unseating the placeholder.
    — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of feel
Verb
  • All 350 potential scenarios are tailor-made, and some are influenced by real events, from both sides of the political divide.
    — Will Barker, TheWeek, 26 Aug. 2026
  • There is a lot of money to be made in the influencing industry.
    — Laura Jung, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of influence
Verb
  • But Reese and her Dream teammates tainted the historic night during the final 20 seconds.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • In July, the US was hit with a wave of explosive diarrhea caused by an outbreak of cyclospora, a parasite that spreads through food and water tainted with human feces.
    — Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of taint
Verb
  • Martin, 22, joined the Pride ahead of the 2026 season after signing her first professional contract with the club in January following a standout collegiate career at Georgetown University.
    — Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Volunteers rush to save livestock and help Ranchers For the past 48 hours, Garrett Duvall and the Rancher's Navy have been moving through the burn zone, joining dozens of volunteers and crews trying to save livestock and help ranchers recover.
    — Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of join
Verb
  • The instruments can move with greater flexibility than the human hand, while the system filters out natural hand tremors that could affect delicate movements.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The gesture continues a pattern for Swift, who has a long history of quietly funding GoFundMe campaigns for fans and strangers facing medical emergencies, including past donations to families affected by natural disasters and accidents.
    — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of affect
Noun
  • Other angles strongly suggest that the contact was, in fact, hip-on-hip.
    — Graham Scott, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Roughly 20 to 30 plastic storage containers and a rubber spatula in the dish clean storage space were found stored as clean with sticker residue/food debris on their food contact surface.
    — Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of contact
Noun
  • Sprouse’s first collections in the mid-1980s made a major splash, melding graffiti prints, a playful ’60s aesthetic, and bright Day-Glo colors that won admirers such as Andy Warhol.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The bagels are the creations of Moreira, who grew up in Argentina but learned quickly how to make bagels that caused a splash.
    — Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of splash
Noun
  • Japan has selected Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s luminously cerebral French-language feature All of a Sudden as its submission for the best international feature category at the 99th Academy Awards.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s latest feature, All Of A Sudden, has been selected as Japan’s entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of feature

Phrases Containing touch

Browse Nearby Words

tot (up)
touch
touchable
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Cite this Entry

“Touch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touch. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on touch

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about touch

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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