preached; preaching; preaches
1
: to deliver a sermon
2
: to urge acceptance or abandonment of an idea or course of action
specifically
: to exhort in an officious or tiresome manner
1
: to set forth in a sermon
preach the gospel
2
: to advocate earnestly
preached revolution
My mother always preached the value/virtue of a good education.
3
: to deliver (something, such as a sermon) publicly
4
: to bring, put, or affect by preaching
… preached the … Church out of debt …—
Amer. Guide Series: Va.
Amer. Guide Series: Va.see also preach to the choir
Examples of preach in a Sentence
Have you ever heard that minister preach?
The minister preached to the congregation about the need for tolerance.
His followers listened to him preach the gospel.
The priest preached a regular sermon that Sunday.
Their mother has always preached the value of a good education.
Practice what you preach—don't smoke if you tell your children not to smoke.
The mayor continues to preach about the need for patience.
I don't like being preached at about how I should live my life.
Recent Examples on the Web
In the Martin Luther Memorial Church in Mariendorf, built in 1935, a wood carving on the pulpit depicts Christ preaching to a small group that includes a helmet-wearing Wehrmacht soldier.
—Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2026
Urgent calls to unite against injustice were interspersed with energetic gospel on Monday at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where King preached.
—Terry Tang, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2026
The Huskies continue to preach their ‘one game at a time’ mentality entering the matchup, but Auriemma doesn’t necessarily dissuade players from leaning into some of the intensity of the rivalry.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 18 Jan. 2026
Fernández has been preaching physicality and defensive presence from day one, and Friday was another reminder that playing time in this rotation isn’t strictly tied to draft position, hype or future projections.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for preach
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Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2026
Urgent calls to unite against injustice were interspersed with energetic gospel on Monday at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where King preached.
—Terry Tang, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2026
The Huskies continue to preach their ‘one game at a time’ mentality entering the matchup, but Auriemma doesn’t necessarily dissuade players from leaning into some of the intensity of the rivalry.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 18 Jan. 2026
Fernández has been preaching physicality and defensive presence from day one, and Friday was another reminder that playing time in this rotation isn’t strictly tied to draft position, hype or future projections.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for preach
Cite this Entry
“Preach.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preach. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
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