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believe

verb

bə-ˈlēv How to pronounce believe (audio)
Definition of believenext
1
as in to accept
to regard as right or true only the most naive car buyer would have believed the salesman's claim that the dealership was actually losing money on the deal

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to think
to have as an opinion despite the horrors she witnessed and endured, Anne Frank steadfastly believed that "people are really good at heart"

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 believe And with growth in the wellness movement, Rademacher believes that interest will go beyond the running category. — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026 The presentation highlighted three updates and changes that the advisory body believes the city should adopt in order to prevent further serious traffic collisions. — Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2026 Marks said Brooklyn believes some players already on the roster will be part of its future. — C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026 Refusing to believe that the ancestors of Native Americans could have built such monumental structures, writers floated bizarre theories as to who had. — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for believe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for believe
  1. accept
  2. think
  3. understand
  4. guess
  5. take
  6. imagine
  7. trust
  8. consider
Verb
  • Any deal would almost certainly need to accept the Houthis’ participation in Yemeni politics and provide the group economic benefits, possibly including a share of Yemen’s oil revenues.
    — RICHARD HAASS, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The response period, if any, and the legal consequences of accepting or declining an offer can depend on the specific language used and the applicable law.
    — Ethan Stone, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of accept
Verb
  • Even if the relationship isn’t fake, something about Bronwyn’s newfound fame (or, rather, adjacency to fame by way of Lisa Barlow) may have altered her brain chemistry into thinking this is a normal way to navigate and present a new relationship.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The mistake is thinking the key is the same thing as ownership.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of think
Verb
  • Anyone who is actually a friend will understand that and respect your boundaries.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The reality star will compete on Netflix’s Million Dollar Secret as Deadline understands that the streamer renewed it for a third season.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of understand
Verb
  • The variation is significant enough that guessing isn’t a great strategy.
    — Gretchen Wittenmyer-Stone, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Kids guess, get things wrong, try again, argue about why and eventually figure something out.
    — Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of guess
Verb
  • Take down the fence when the season opens and take your toll.
    — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Martha and her mother Maria Alberto Gonzalez and his wife, Catalina Gonzalez, remember taking two buses and a train from their home on the North Side to get to the restaurant in the late 1960s.
    — Laura Rodríguez Presa, Chicago Tribune, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of take
Verb
  • Before saying yes, imagine the ordinary version of the opportunity, not just the exciting announcement.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The 10-year-old who started The Cote News isn’t ready to stop seeing a blank page and imagining how to fill it with the right words, with stories, with humor and with heart.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of imagine
Verb
  • If the White House makes major announcements here on trade or artificial intelligence, Republicans can turn around and tell voters, ‘See, trust the process.
    — Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 24 Sep. 2026
  • But people wouldn’t trust my word in the company, and that was more important than anything.
    — Lane Brown, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of trust
Verb
  • With a luxe crocodile-embossed suede upper and a slight heel that adds just enough height without weighing you down, these loafers deliver a high-end look—despite being considered orthopedic.
    — Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Last year, a National School Choice Awareness Foundation survey found that 60 percent of parents have considered switching schools for their children, with many exploring models beyond traditional brick-and-mortar schools.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of consider

Phrases Containing believe

Browse Nearby Words

believably
believe
believed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Believe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/believe. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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