as in to have
to keep, control, or experience as one's own
she possesses a keen insight into people
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of possess
The inspiration behind LinkerBot LinkerBot CEO Zhou revealed that the inspiration to build dexterous human hands came from watching Doraemon, a famous Japanese cartoon character known for possessing innovative gadgets.
—
Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 23 Feb. 2026
The fundamental question in a democracy isn’t whether the government possesses investigative authority.
—Stephanie A, The Conversation, 23 Feb. 2026
The charging documents say Myers has nine prior felony convictions, including two for assault, and several prior gun convictions, and is legally barred from possessing guns because of this.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2026
Not possessed of true leaves, flattened leaflike cladophylls decorate its stems.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for possess
Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 23 Feb. 2026
The fundamental question in a democracy isn’t whether the government possesses investigative authority.
—Stephanie A, The Conversation, 23 Feb. 2026
The charging documents say Myers has nine prior felony convictions, including two for assault, and several prior gun convictions, and is legally barred from possessing guns because of this.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2026
Not possessed of true leaves, flattened leaflike cladophylls decorate its stems.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for possess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for possess
Verb
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Currently, 39 states have average prices below the $3-per-gallon threshold.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Mar. 2026
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Every city has a notorious nightclub or bar worth visiting.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The polymer solar cell is able to retain 97% of its performance after 2,000 hours in air.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Feb. 2026
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This was an aberrance by definition and by form; our collective sanity depends on retaining the ability to parse out instances of this kind of ambient shock and pain.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Serving Spoon has remained family-owned for three generations, and is currently owned by siblings Justin Johnson and Jessica Bane, Sparks’ grandchildren.—
Angela Osorio,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Feb. 2026
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The Flower Fields started as a small ranunculus farm in the mid-1960s, when Edwin Frazee moved his ranunculus and gladiolus to the current location on land owned by the Ecke Family, where the Eckes had been growing their world-famous poinsettias.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Both experts recommended sticking only to high-quality fresh or pasteurized eggs and enjoying Italian coffee in moderation.—
Eleesha Lockett,
Verywell Health,
27 Feb. 2026
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The protests in Nepal last year revealed the extent of young people’s frustration with corruption and a lack of opportunity in the country, where around a fifth of young adults are unemployed, but where the children of the political elite seem to enjoy luxury lifestyles and numerous advantages.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Possess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/possess. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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