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 The Philippines, which recently declared a national energy emergency, is also considering reviving a nuclear plant built in the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis but was never turned on. ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026 Gore declares the Cold War over after agreeing on a historic partnership with Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev. Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 Apr. 2026 The virus, which had been declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, surged in cases last year. Paris Barraza, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026 The push comes despite an ongoing legal fight between Anthropic and the Pentagon, which earlier this year declared the company a supply-chain threat over a dispute about AI safeguards. Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 17 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
  • Some young men, eager to assert their Americanness, answered yes to both questions and volunteered for military service; members of the all-Japanese 442nd Regimental Combat Team quickly became war heroes.
    Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Rather than opening the Strait of Hormuz, the critical commercial waterway that before the war carried 20% of the world’s oil, both sides have sought to assert more control over the area.
    Justin Fishel, ABC News, 20 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
  • Second-year guard Saniya Rivers, who proclaimed herself head coach Rachid Meziane‘s favorite, even convinced the French head coach to perform the viral scuba dance with her.
    Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2026
  • In a ceremony at Victory Ford in Kansas City, Kansas, less than two miles from the speedway, Thursday was proclaimed Dystany Spurlock Day in Kansas City by KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas and the Kansas House of Representatives.
    PJ Green April 17, Kansas City Star, 17 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
  • On Marathon Monday, the company stationed the robot at its 888 Boylston Street showroom in Boston, displaying it in front of thousands of runners from roughly 130 countries, as well as hundreds of thousands of spectators.
    Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 21 Apr. 2026
  • But the Kohler Foundation, recognizing his creations as powerful visuals of African American history and especially the experiences of Black veterans, purchased hundreds of pieces – documenting, displaying and distributing them to be appreciated across the country and beyond.
    Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Declare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declare. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.

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