How to Use potential in a Sentence

potential

1 of 2 adjective
  • The project has potential risks.
  • Critics say the factory poses a potential threat to the environment.
  • Doctors are excited about the new drug's potential benefits.
  • He is a potential candidate for president.
  • The 24-year-old Reyes has a big swing and is full of potential.
    Tom Withers, baltimoresun.com, 31 July 2019
  • There is a lot of potential and there is a lot of room to grow still.
    Jeff Forward, Houston Chronicle, 1 Aug. 2019
  • Half of the group get the potential vaccine and half a placebo.
    Anne Saker, The Enquirer, 16 Nov. 2020
  • What Moss fears the most is the potential long-term effects of covid.
    Ellen McCarthy, Anchorage Daily News, 22 July 2022
  • Charah wants to show all the potential buyers what could be done on the site.
    Linda Gandee, cleveland, 1 Aug. 2022
  • All three have the potential to score 20-plus points in a game, sometimes in the same game.
    Jim Lefko, San Antonio Express-News, 2 Mar. 2018
  • What are the potential risks to using topical?minoxidil?
    Tori Crowther, Allure, 13 Oct. 2022
  • This was rich and saucy and had so much potential, but was too salty for both Nona and me.
    oregonlive, 16 June 2023
  • Add it up, and there’s lot of potential, and lots of unknown, which should make the fall fun to watch.
    Albert Breer, SI.com, 10 July 2018
  • If the forecasts are true, the potential impact on the ocean could be big, Yu says.
    Sabrina Imbler, The Atlantic, 24 June 2020
  • To ease potential clients into art, the Lawrences make house calls.
    oregonlive, 16 Jan. 2022
  • But there’s a lot of potential for things to go in a lot of directions.
    Eduardo A. Encina, baltimoresun.com, 21 June 2018
  • The cafe had potential, but business was sluggish and the food seemed tired.
    Emily Bobrow, WSJ, 10 Sep. 2021
  • The lease could be transferred to a potential buyer, but some wouldn’t want to take it on.
    Washington Post, 18 Dec. 2019
  • The tight end dropped a potential touchdown pass near the back pylon in the fourth quarter.
    Emmanuel Morgan Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2021
  • Some of that potential is tangled up with youth in the lineup.
    Skip Snow, USA TODAY Sportsbook Wire, 3 Feb. 2020
  • The potential buyer made an offer, and the house is now in escrow.
    New York Times, 4 Feb. 2021
  • All of these charges come with the potential for fines and jail time, the authorities say.
    Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, 5 Apr. 2020
  • Main threat will be potential for heavy rainfall, mainly to the east of our area.
    Marie Simoneaux, NOLA.com, 13 May 2018
  • Some of Jupiter’s moons have been studied for the potential to harbor life.
    National Geographic, 17 June 2019
  • Even worse for the Pac-12, its list of potential partners had dwindled by then.
    Billy Witz, New York Times, 5 Aug. 2023
  • Marte seems to be fine with this, but the bouncing around does have at least one potential downside.
    Nick Piecoro, The Arizona Republic, 13 July 2020
  • But there’s still a potential for optimism that’s hard to find in other parts of the tech world.
    Adi Robertson, The Verge, 30 Dec. 2018
  • Pineiro missed the potential winning 41-yard field goal.
    Colleen Kane, chicagotribune.com, 3 Nov. 2019
  • The potential incentives announced Monday include $50 million to help train the workforce in Arizona to be better equipped to work in the new facilities.
    Will Weissert, Quartz, 8 Apr. 2024
  • Their small size allows them to be ingested, absorbed or inhaled, raising potential health risks.
    Susan Murphy, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2024
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potential

2 of 2 noun
  • He has the potential to be one of the team's best players.
  • The company has a lot of potential for future growth.
  • Scientists are exploring the potentials of the new drug.
  • The new technology has the potential to transform the industry.
  • There is potential in the new technology, but it will be a long time before it can actually be used.
  • He shows enormous potential as an athlete.
  • The potential for the red flag right now is the price tag.
    Andrew Duehren, WSJ, 12 Mar. 2021
  • The offshore potential is one of the best on the planet.
    Bill McKibben, The New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2021
  • This young group has a lot of work ahead of it, but the potential is there.
    Joe Magill, cleveland, 8 Sep. 2022
  • The Terps have shown flashes of potential on both ends of the floor.
    Ryan McFadden, baltimoresun.com, 7 Jan. 2022
  • But the cost of out-of-state tuition trumped on-the-field potential.
    Fletcher Page, The Courier-Journal, 24 May 2018
  • But in the long term, yeah, there is the potential for healing and peace.
    Vox First Person, Vox, 23 Mar. 2018
  • The potential for confusion is from the color of the cap for the vials.
    Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2022
  • The top charges against him carry the potential for up to 25 years in prison.
    Washington Post, 25 May 2018
  • This draft class has the potential to shape the future of the franchise.
    Akeem Glaspie, The Indianapolis Star, 17 Apr. 2021
  • The cold wind above treeline at first shut me down to the day's potential.
    Author: Christine Cunningham, Anchorage Daily News, 31 Jan. 2018
  • Although not to the degree that the 49ers fell for, the Cowboys saw the potential in Lance, too.
    Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY, 29 Aug. 2023
  • The fanbase is too big, the villain is too strong, and the potential is too high.
    Evan Romano, Men's Health, 18 Feb. 2022
  • There is also the potential that the Colts could use the franchise tag on him.
    Scott Patsko, cleveland, 12 Mar. 2020
  • The skinny: This has the most boom/bust potential of any area on the roster.
    Christopher Price, BostonGlobe.com, 24 July 2023
  • But with all of those arms and legs come high turnover potential.
    Andy Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 Oct. 2021
  • Much of the project's power is in its archival potential.
    Emily Dreyfuss, WIRED, 25 June 2018
  • The event has the potential to be a group gathering, as well.
    Jeff Rumage, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 7 May 2020
  • Sternberg is not a boater, but sees the potential of growth.
    Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 11 Apr. 2022
  • As a way to avoid crowds and the potential of infection, this train of thought makes a lot of sense.
    Robert Morast, SFChronicle.com, 23 Aug. 2020
  • This little red pill has the potential to change the course of the pandemic.
    Karen Kaplan Science and Medicine Editor, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2021
  • The case’s outcome has the potential to alter the politics of the swing state.
    Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 22 Nov. 2023
  • Much of the buzz around 5G is focused on its potential.
    Klint Finley Joanna Pearlstein simon Hill, WIRED, 31 Dec. 2022
  • There’s also the potential for the bacterium itself to fight cancer cells.
    Lauryn Higgins, Health, 9 Apr. 2024
  • Take the time to assess your strengths, interests, and market demand to identify a niche that not only excites you but also has the potential for growth and profitability.
    Sho Dewan, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'potential.' 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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