How to Use substance in a Sentence

substance

noun
  • The results of the study give substance to their theory.
  • The floor was covered with a white, powdery substance that turned out to be flour.
  • He had a history of substance abuse.
  • When has he ever said anything of substance?
  • The pancreas secretes a substance called insulin.
  • Of wall or substance there was none.
    — Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026
  • There is lots of a sticky substance too?
    — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2026
  • What about the substance, then?
    — Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Bell said the abuse led him to his own substance abuse.
    — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
  • But this is not the substance of the speech that sticks.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
  • Speed plus substance equals reach.
    — Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Don’t think this is all flash and no substance, though.
    — Todd Plummer, Robb Report, 19 June 2026
  • Once on the ground, the substance sticks to skin and clothes.
    — Stephan Bisaha, NPR, 6 June 2026
  • That’s not to say the yacht is all style and no substance, though.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 17 Apr. 2023
  • But beyond that style was a whole lot of substance.
    — Dianne Gallagher, CNN Money, 23 May 2026
  • Janelle has since opened up about how his substance abuse played a role in his death.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
  • But courts are often moved more by substance over form.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 8 Jan. 2026
  • But there is substance amid all the beauty.
    — Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 June 2026
  • There are very few people with any substance who want to run.
    — Deputy News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Oct. 2025
  • The recipe can vary slightly in form, but not in substance.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Some people numb their pain with substances.
    — Jane Marie Chen, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Lesnar’s return hasn’t had a ton of substance up to this point.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Death by suicide and substance abuse is up, but there are some good signs too.
    — Eva Flowe june 24, Charlotte Observer, 24 June 2026
  • Even substance abuse is more common.
    — Sherri Gordon, Parents, 15 Mar. 2026
  • Soluble fiber helps to form a gel-like substance in the gut.
    — Jessica Swirble, Verywell Health, 25 June 2026
  • We were raised by single moms who had substance abuse issues.
    — Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 18 Oct. 2023
  • But the style and substance in the action sequences is its own.
    — Mathew Scott, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2025
  • But they were focused on the form, and not the substance of slavery.
    — Nicole F. Roberts, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
  • At least for now, the system is more symbol than substance.
    — Tharin Pillay, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Many had never been asked about substance use in any health care setting.
    — Divya Upadhyay, STAT, 25 Feb. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'substance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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