Definition of transformnext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word transform different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of transform are convert, metamorphose, transfigure, transmogrify, and transmute. While all these words mean "to change a thing into a different thing," transform implies a major change in form, nature, or function.

transformed a small company into a corporate giant

When would convert be a good substitute for transform?

The words convert and transform are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, convert implies a change fitting something for a new or different use or function.

converted the study into a nursery

When is metamorphose a more appropriate choice than transform?

While the synonyms metamorphose and transform are close in meaning, metamorphose suggests an abrupt or startling change induced by or as if by magic or a supernatural power.

awkward girls metamorphosed into graceful ballerinas

When is it sensible to use transfigure instead of transform?

The words transfigure and transform can be used in similar contexts, but transfigure implies a change that exalts or glorifies.

joy transfigured her face

When might transmogrify be a better fit than transform?

In some situations, the words transmogrify and transform are roughly equivalent. However, transmogrify suggests a strange or preposterous metamorphosis.

a story in which a frog is transmogrified into a prince

When can transmute be used instead of transform?

The synonyms transmute and transform are sometimes interchangeable, but transmute implies transforming into a higher element or thing.

attempted to transmute lead into gold

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 transform Now, King has transformed what once felt like an obstacle into one of his greatest assets on the mound. Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 May 2026 This is one of several instances of emotional realism that pierce the film’s temporal veil — turning it, in theory, from a series of recollections into a more pressing and contemporary saga of how war trickles down and transforms the lives of young girls in fundamental ways. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 13 May 2026 The Heat making a selection and then bypassing any post-pick pomp, knowing the selection is heading elsewhere as part of the type of trade that transforms the roster. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 13 May 2026 Tech has transformed the world of VFX but there will never replace the human touch, Walt Disney Animation Studios SVP of Production & Technology Nick Cannon told delegates at Web Summit Vancouver. Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 13 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for transform
Recent Examples of Synonyms for transform
Verb
  • This shift supports the current valuation premium as the company aims to convert its backlog into high-margin, recurring revenue.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
  • The former brew house equipment area has now been converted into additional seating, adding roughly 40 seats to the dining room.
    Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 15 May 2026
Verb
  • Some home improvements can be expensive, such as adding central air conditioning or remodeling an entire room of your house.
    Hiranmayi Srinivasan, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 May 2026
  • The second Wild Sisters bookstore will be housed in the new and remodeled Paperwork Building, the owners wrote online.
    Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2026
Verb
  • But the filmmaker’s imagination transfigures personal history into something not of this world, wholly original, and uniquely demented.
    Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
  • Thus the god of the clan, the totemic principle, can be none other than the clan itself, but the clan transfigured and imagined.
    Glenn Adamson, Artforum, 2 May 2026
Verb
  • Writing arrived as a compulsion, transmuting grief into something palatable and art-like, like a View-Master stereoscope with kaleidoscope slides.
    Eli Raphael, PEOPLE, 10 May 2026
  • In Saar’s world, items have always held their own energy, and in her hands that energy is transmuted into something wholly unique.
    Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Transform.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/transform. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

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