declare

Definition of declarenext
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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb declare differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of declare are announce, proclaim, and promulgate. While all these words mean "to make known publicly," declare implies explicitness and usually formality in making known.

the referee declared the contest a draw

Where would announce be a reasonable alternative to declare?

The meanings of announce and declare largely overlap; however, announce implies the declaration of something for the first time.

announced their engagement at a party

When might proclaim be a better fit than declare?

While the synonyms proclaim and declare are close in meaning, proclaim implies declaring clearly, forcefully, and authoritatively.

the president proclaimed a national day of mourning

In what contexts can promulgate take the place of declare?

The words promulgate and declare can be used in similar contexts, but promulgate implies the proclaiming of a dogma, doctrine, or law.

promulgated an edict of religious toleration

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 declare In his first attempt to impose global tariffs, the president last year invoked the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), using the law to declare America’s longstanding trade deficit a national emergency and to impose double-digit worldwide taxes on imports to combat it. Mae Anderson, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2026 The ceasefire has been declared. Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 11 Apr. 2026 The son of a coach, Kopitar was born in the former Yugoslavia, in the mining town of Jesenice near the border with Austria, an area that became part of Slovenia when that country declared independence just before Kopitar’s fourth birthday. Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026 Texas, Florida take similar actions against CAIR Abbott declared both the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as foreign terrorist organizations in late 2025. Brieanna J. Frank, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for declare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declare
Verb
  • The group announced the new mutual aid market on social media, citing community concerns over rising costs as the motivation behind the move.
    Christa Swanson, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
  • The project is a longstanding proposal that Beijing has previously announced.
    ABC News, ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Yet to a man, those who endured last season and remained insist this has been better, even as the standings tell an all-too-familiar story.
    Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2026
  • Israeli forces have continued strikes on Hezbollah as Iran insists a broader ceasefire includes an end to Israeli strikes in Lebanon.
    Dalia Abdelwahab, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • This would presumably mean claiming responsibility for staging the accidents—and asserting that Motta and Alfortish had believed the cases to be legitimate.
    Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
  • Freedom of peaceful navigation is a basic principle of international maritime trade, but Iran has asserted control of the strait.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The figures had cracked in many places and some of the statues revealed their complicated armature.
    Douglas Stuart, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026
  • White took to social media after Hokit's win to reveal that a matchup between Hokit and Derrick Lewis had been added to UFC Freedom 250.
    CBS News, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • He was proclaimed King Frederik X following the abdication of his mother, Queen Margrethe II.
    ABC News, ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026
  • The interior proclaims the beauty of efficient bureaucracy.
    Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Taiwan is self-ruled but China claims the island as part of its territory.
    ABC News, ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026
  • Iran's semiofficial Tasnim news agency, close to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, claimed that the talks set for Saturday would not happen unless Israel stopped its attacks in Lebanon.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Sixty-one names will be on the June 2 primary ballot, including 10 leaders who profess to be serious about seeking the office.
    Dan Walters, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026
  • The promise is more audacious even than most who profess Christianity can fully understand.
    The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 5 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • In addition, Ware continued to display a feathery 3-point stroke, with a pair in the first half.
    Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2026
  • The idea of metamorphosis is aptly displayed in the Butterfly story, which shows off unenhanced padparadscha and Montana sapphires that form the creature’s wings, alongside fancy vivid yellow diamonds or white oval diamonds to create the butterfly itself.
    Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 14 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Declare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declare. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.

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