as in composed
free from emotional or mental agitation
remarkably poised and possessed in the midst of all the turmoil
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in owned
to keep, control, or experience as one's own
she possesses a keen insight into people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of possessed
Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 1 Aug. 2025
Jealous, murderous, possessed spouses lend themselves well to cinema, but glimpses of a couple gulping up each other’s daily air is trickier to convey.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 31 July 2025
Belinda Luscombe, Time, 29 Sep. 2025
Aside from eating lots of yogurt, Branyas possessed various variations of genes that helped her age healthily.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for possessed
Adjective
How to describe the romantic ski weekend montage involving a possessed snowman, in what seems to be an homage to the Wham!
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 1 Aug. 2025
Jealous, murderous, possessed spouses lend themselves well to cinema, but glimpses of a couple gulping up each other’s daily air is trickier to convey.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 31 July 2025
Verb
Anyone who possessed this overwhelming desire to face near certain death on a regular basis is going to be unusual.
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 29 Sep. 2025
Aside from eating lots of yogurt, Branyas possessed various variations of genes that helped her age healthily.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for possessed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for possessed
Adjective
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Only on particularly bumpy tarmac did the GTS-spec suspension become too jarring with the adaptive dampers stiffened up in sport mode, but switching them to normal offered the best of both worlds—excellent, composed body control and tuning that ironed out imperfections remarkably well.—
Peter Nelson,
Robb Report,
1 Oct. 2025
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The vocabulary being used by Qatar’s prime minister is strong, evocative and damning, a departure from his usual composed response to the incessant twists and turns of trying to end the 23-month war in Gaza.—
Paula Hancocks,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Yes, this location is independently owned by Sanjay Patel, under the MKE Burgers West Allis Inc.—
Adrienne Davis,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
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Around 1915, the family left behind their life in La Crosse, where George owned and operated a local grocery store, to move to a farm outside of Plainfield, Wis.—
Yasmeen Hamadeh,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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When the 24-year-old nets, the defender does his best to maintain his cool, calm and collected persona.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Talking dogs, strange vehicles, conspiracy theories, stupid acronyms: life imitates cult fiction, apparently, and somewhere along the line our reality started to resemble, with uncanny specificity, the collected works of Thomas Pynchon.—
Book Marks
September 25,
Literary Hub,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Between 2011 and 2022, roughly 380 Kansas drivers had the designation on the front of their license changed, according to Appeals Court Judge Karen Arnold-Burger, who authored the June ruling against Kobach.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
3 Oct. 2025
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The remaining 10,000 had no income cap.—
Rachel Wegner,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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He was being put through training recently to test his ability to stay calm under pressure as Douglas tried to overstimulate his senses.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Oct. 2025
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What made the situation a whole lot easier for both of them was the fact that Breezy stayed happy and calm in her car seat through the whole episode.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Sébastien Lecornu resigned Monday after announcing a cabinet that largely retained the same ministers as under his unpopular predecessor, triggering a backlash.—
Ana Nicolaci da Costa,
CNN Money,
8 Oct. 2025
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Like Renshaw, Harris was a backup on the last Ashes tour, albeit he was retained for all five Tests.—
Sam Dalling,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This serene, design-forward space oozes relaxation — cozy up in one of the sculptural chairs and get ready for one of the best massages in town.—
Angela Caraway-Carlton,
Miami Herald,
4 Oct. 2025
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Among the Trees and Hilltops After Nobu’s serene luxury, Acre Resort was a lush escape.—
Lisa Greissinger,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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An engaging, fun-loving character, across several stints playing county cricket with Somerset, Renshaw enjoyed life as a commentator and public address announcer.—
Sam Dalling,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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Both of these fruits can be enjoyed as a simple snack or paired with other nutritious foods to create healthy meals.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Possessed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/possessed. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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