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
The pulpit where sermons were preached looked like an abstract disaster.
—Marvin Hurst, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Emmy nominee and beloved Broadway star Michael Urie gets to embrace Brian’s egomania by preaching its benefits in an improvised TED talk… only to then repeatedly abandon his personal belief system in favor of the show’s supportive communal vibes.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
Kaneland coach Brian Claesson preaches the importance of the first three minutes of the second half, but ACC dominated that stretch to pull away from the Knights.
—Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
That combination — low confidence, high curiosity — creates a rare opening for brands to educate without preaching.
—Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for preach
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Marvin Hurst, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Emmy nominee and beloved Broadway star Michael Urie gets to embrace Brian’s egomania by preaching its benefits in an improvised TED talk… only to then repeatedly abandon his personal belief system in favor of the show’s supportive communal vibes.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
Kaneland coach Brian Claesson preaches the importance of the first three minutes of the second half, but ACC dominated that stretch to pull away from the Knights.
—Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
That combination — low confidence, high curiosity — creates a rare opening for brands to educate without preaching.
—Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 26 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 31 Jan. 2026.
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