affair

noun

ə-ˈfer How to pronounce affair (audio)
Definition of affairnext
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 As Khloé Kardashian rang in her 42nd birthday on June 27, the mom-of-two ensured the special day was a full family affair—complete with a surprise appearance from ex-boyfriend Tristan Thompson. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 1 July 2026 At the same time, when asked directly if the United States is better served by withdrawing from world affairs to put America First, the under-30 MAGA set says yes with a 72% margin. — Philip Elliott, Time, 1 July 2026 Betty Kioko, an institutional affairs adviser at ESO, said the United Nations Outer Space Treaty, signed in 1967, states that the responsibility for space launches is with the nation states where those space objects are registered. — Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 1 July 2026 John Russick, director of curatorial affairs at the Chicago History Museum, told WBBM Newsradio back in 2011 that the heat during those Great Depression years also had people sleeping on their roofs and in parks. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for affair
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affair
  1. romance
  2. event
  3. production
  4. incident
  5. matter
  6. fling
  7. party
  8. product
Noun
  • The love story is one now cemented in the history books of pop culture and romance.
    — Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 4 July 2026
  • Did the woman who has spent a career immersed in romance with all of its joys and sorrows really exchange vows in what's essentially her workplace?
    — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 4 July 2026
Definition of romance
Noun
  • Greenwood is leading a series of high-profile events to celebrate America's 250th anniversary.
    — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
  • Fans from around the world attended the event, with many saying this World Cup has felt different.
    — Anna McAllister, CBS News, 2 July 2026
Definition of event
Noun
  • The production made use of Malaysia’s post-production infrastructure and incorporated creative voices from across South and Southeast Asia.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 July 2026
  • Luma has been making inroads into Hollywood selling its software but has separately funded a production service company to teach filmmakers to make hybrid AI films using its tools.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
Definition of production
Noun
  • The incident, which authorities are investigating, occurred 30 nautical miles (around 55 kilometers) southwest of Yemen’s Red Sea port of Al Hudaydah, UKMTO said.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
  • The incident occurred following Angel City FC's 2-0 win over the Orlando Pride on Friday evening, July 3, according to an Angel City FC spokesperson and multiple videos of the incident shared on social media by event attendees.
    — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026
Definition of incident
Noun
  • For Isaienko, that is precisely why festivals like Stoned Climbers matter.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 July 2026
  • So the Heat are confident and Giannis is confident, which is what matters.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 5 July 2026
Definition of matter
Noun
  • In Hawai’i, two lovers (Kenji and Jane) are drawn together for what’s supposed to be a summer fling.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026
  • Bloc Party’s next album charts the course of such a fling, one that frontman Kele Okereke experienced himself after separating from his long-term partner.
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 25 June 2026
Definition of fling
Noun
  • In movies, friendships end with a big blowup after there has been a significant betrayal by one party.
    — Joy Harden Bradford, AJC.com, 2 July 2026
  • Another climber, who was not part of the woman's party, happened to be nearby and was able to help the woman, remaining with her group until responders arrived, per the Forest Service.
    — Daniel S. Levine, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
Definition of party
Noun
  • The product, used to manage swallowing difficulties, might cause NEC, the FDA said.
    — David Hilzenrath, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • The historic town center boasts a 13th-century bell tower and municipal palace, cobbled streets, and shops selling local products.
    — Tia Lovisa Moreira, Travel + Leisure, 2 July 2026
Definition of product

Phrases Containing affair

Browse Nearby Words

affably
affair
affairs
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Affair.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affair. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on affair

Nglish: Translation of affair for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All