Synonym Chooser

How is the word avow distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of avow are affirm, assert, declare, and protest. While all these words mean "to state positively usually in anticipation of denial or objection," avow stresses frank declaration and acknowledgment of personal responsibility for what is declared.

avowed that all investors would be repaid in full

When might affirm be a better fit than avow?

The synonyms affirm and avow are sometimes interchangeable, but affirm implies conviction based on evidence, experience, or faith.

affirmed the existence of an afterlife

Where would assert be a reasonable alternative to avow?

Although the words assert and avow have much in common, assert implies stating confidently without need for proof or regard for evidence.

asserted that modern music is just noise

When would declare be a good substitute for avow?

In some situations, the words declare and avow are roughly equivalent. However, declare stresses open or public statement.

declared her support for the candidate

When could protest be used to replace avow?

The words protest and avow can be used in similar contexts, but protest emphasizes affirming in the face of denial or doubt.

protested that he really had been misquoted

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 avow Jelly Roll has long been a loud, avowed Eminem fan. Brian McCollum, USA Today, 20 May 2025 Nigel and Isaac had post-Revolutionary War love They were avowed enemies of war: American Revolutionary War veteran Isaac Higgintoot (Brandon Scott Jones) and British officer Nigel Chessum (John Hartman) found unlikely love in Season 2. Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 May 2025 Jennifer Lawrence, Emily Ratajkowski, Hailey Bieber, and Rihanna and A$AP Rocky are all avowed Doona-heads. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2025 Discovering this, avowed capitalist Nelson Rockefeller asked the artist to change or remove it. Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for avow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avow
Verb
  • Calderon maintained his innocence, insisting his positive result had been the result of cross-contamination.
    Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 20 June 2025
  • The barrage led Israel’s defense minister to overtly threaten Iran’s supreme leader. Israel, meanwhile, struck Iran’s heavy water reactor, part of the country’s nuclear program, which its government insists is meant for peaceful purposes only.
    Elena Becatoros, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • Strickland even publicly declared his support for Trump after a win over Paulo Costa at UFC 302 in June 2024.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2025
  • He was widely declared unready for the tall task of being a No. 2 on a contender.
    Marcus Thompson II, New York Times, 17 June 2025
Verb
  • More Associated Press, Getty Images Victims and their families allege that Palestinian operatives were either directly involved in or incited the attacks.
    Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025
  • More than a decade later, the case took stunning new turns, authorities alleging an elaborate scheme orchestrated from behind prison walls by the man convicted of killing him.
    Doc Louallen, ABC News, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • But listen to those lyrics, which also land differently in a modern context — especially when thinking about how the Bible nowadays is too often used to justify hate instead of the love Jesus professed.
    Matthew J. Palm, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 June 2025
  • You might feel called to profess your love, take next steps in your relationship, or start building your dream life in some actionable way.
    Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 June 2025
Verb
  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed that the administration acted under the War Powers Act by notifying members of Congress after the strikes.
    Annabella Rosciglione, The Washington Examiner, 22 June 2025
  • The Dreamers also claim their stadium would provide more event space.
    Kelly Martinez Semrad, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 June 2025
Verb
  • America asserted its position, secured a partner through alignment against common rivals, and laid the groundwork for its emergence as a global superpower.
    Staff, FOXNews.com, 21 June 2025
  • Bayern asserted their dominance over Group C by thrashing Auckland City in their Club World Cup opener 10-0.
    Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025
Verb
  • As strangers moments prior, the men had both been nervous that each another might be contending for the same lots, and one of them scooted to a seat farther away to ease the tension.
    Emma Bowman, NPR, 23 June 2025
  • Hill contends the Bills are afraid to cover him man-to-man.
    Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • In front of an excited crowd of Venezuelans in Miami in 2019, the president proclaimed that Maduro’s days were numbered.
    Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 20 June 2025
  • The holiday marks the date in 1865 – more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation – that Major General Gordon Granger and 2,000 Union Army troops came to Galveston Bay, Texas, to proclaim freedom for more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state.
    Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 20 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Avow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avow. Accessed 27 Jun. 2025.

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