believed

Definition of believednext
past tense of believe

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 believed Priestesses once kept a sacred flame burning there day and night, believed to represent the life force of the city. Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026 In another universe, McCrae could have been played by Sigourney Weaver, but Disney's head of casting believed her unusual name could make life awkward for the film's marketing department. Richard Edwards, Space.com, 8 Feb. 2026 The alleged kidnappers are believed to have sent ransom letters with monetary demands to multiple local media outlets. David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 8 Feb. 2026 Expecting to find traces of the past in the old town of Regensburg, at first, archaeologists believed nothing that exciting lurked here. Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 8 Feb. 2026 The 84-year-old woman is believed to have been taken from her home against her will. Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 8 Feb. 2026 Many of these voters believed that preservation of the Union should come before opposition to slavery. Stephen Mihm, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026 On Friday, the Milton Police Department said that a body found in a pond by divers that was believed to be the missing 27-year-old. Vivian Kwarm, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026 At a moment of uncertainty and pessimism, Kaleidoscope believed there was a gap in the market and hunger among advertisers for quality content about the future backed by journalistic rigor. Max Tani, semafor.com, 2 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for believed
Verb
  • Conrad wasn’t sure how football fans would react but said most people eagerly accepted a towel.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
  • If your complaint is accepted by the authority, an investigator will determine whether any laws, policies or procedures were broken by officers.
    Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • El-Ahmad thought Minnesota could benefit from Rodriguez’s impressive playmaking ability, his wonderful left foot and his vast experience at the highest level in the world (Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, among others).
    Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Some of the voice notes were 20 seconds long, and the longest ever was 58 minutes, which my daughter thought was a podcast.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • It must be understood that historical references to this team are like prompts on an online dating profile — not under any circumstances to be taken seriously, but a fun jumping off point.
    Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026
  • The complication is not well understood but appears to be the result of the virus prompting the immune system to attack a certain protein that some brain cells produce.
    Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Health Secretary Wes Streeting is widely considered a front-runner to become the next prime minister.
    Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Every possible explanation that isn’t ruled out or contradicted by the already-existing data should be considered, and each hypothesis should be tested and examined as rigorously as possible.
    Big Think, Big Think, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The protesters took a violent turn at several points during that week.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
  • In total, the design process took three years to complete with collaboration from several researchers and engineers.
    Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Judging from Tutto Mare’s debut, David guessed right.
    Rebecca Kleinman, Footwear News, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Before Calla Lily's identity was revealed, Robin Thicke guessed Danielle Fishel, Rita Ora picked Selma Blair and Ken Jeong guessed Christina Applegate.
    Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Bennett figured that her more outgoing sibling, who was part of youth groups and bands at school, was probably picked up by a friend and will be home soon.
    Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Feed the bigs One thing the Horned Frogs have figured it out is how dynamic their frontcourt duo of junior Xavier Edmonds and sophomore David Punch has become.
    Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • On October 7, 2023, Assad must have imagined for a few hours that Nasrallah’s prophecies had come true.
    Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Two decades later, that dream is far more tangible than young Oettinger — or his family — ever imagined.
    Lia Assimakopoulos Dallas Stars, Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Believed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/believed. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

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