as in owns
to keep, control, or experience as one's own
she possesses a keen insight into people
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Recent Examples of possesses
Rea certainly possesses plenty of experience plus right-hander Ben Brown or right-hander Javier Assad, currently at Triple-A Iowa, also could slot into the rotation, depending on Horton’s prognosis and how long he might be sidelined.
—
Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Culler said Tellez possesses the single most important trait for a competitor.
—Jaelen Gilkey, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
At the start of that series, Robert Baratheon (played by Mark Addy) possesses the Iron Throne after a war between him and Aerys II Targaryen (David Rintoul).
—Ryan Brennan
april 3, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2026
After three transits, astronomers determined TOI-5205 b possesses an atmosphere with compounds like methane and hydrogen sulphide.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 Apr. 2026
The world today is divided territorially into more than 190 countries, each of which possesses a national government that claims to exercise sovereignty and seeks to compel obedience to its will by its citizens.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
In Paris, the Museum of the Prefecture of Police possesses just a guillotine blade, while the closest thing on view at the Carnavalet Museum is a two-foot-tall model guillotine and a pair of dangly brass guillotine earrings.
—Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2026
Arriving in a jet-black shade, this wig possesses a luminosity that almost seems artificial.
—Noel Cymone Walker, StyleCaster, 1 Apr. 2026
Rhule possesses a keen understanding of the temperature around his program.
—Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Culler said Tellez possesses the single most important trait for a competitor.
—Jaelen Gilkey, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
At the start of that series, Robert Baratheon (played by Mark Addy) possesses the Iron Throne after a war between him and Aerys II Targaryen (David Rintoul).
—Ryan Brennan
april 3, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2026
After three transits, astronomers determined TOI-5205 b possesses an atmosphere with compounds like methane and hydrogen sulphide.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 Apr. 2026
The world today is divided territorially into more than 190 countries, each of which possesses a national government that claims to exercise sovereignty and seeks to compel obedience to its will by its citizens.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
In Paris, the Museum of the Prefecture of Police possesses just a guillotine blade, while the closest thing on view at the Carnavalet Museum is a two-foot-tall model guillotine and a pair of dangly brass guillotine earrings.
—Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2026
Arriving in a jet-black shade, this wig possesses a luminosity that almost seems artificial.
—Noel Cymone Walker, StyleCaster, 1 Apr. 2026
Rhule possesses a keen understanding of the temperature around his program.
—Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for possesses
Verb
-
Sacramento County owns the bridge, which crosses Grizzly Slough near Walnut Grove.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has shown interest in a team in London; Qatar Sports Investment, the owners of soccer giant PSG, is eying one in Paris; and RedBird Capital, which owns AC Milan and is an investor in Paramount, wants a team in Milan.—
Mike Vorkunov,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The park has a full-size soccer field, a sunken basketball court that doubles as a reservoir, a long wooden walkway raised above plantings and tall grasses, a community pavilion, a café, and a fifty-thousand-gallon cistern that captures rain for irrigation.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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Messi, for example, has a lifetime deal with Adidas that will comfortably run into hundreds of millions of dollars, while Ronaldo signed a lifetime deal with Nike in 2016.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As private property, management retains the authority to deny requests to hold organized events or protests on site.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Despite sometimes disruptive infrastructure upgrades across town to handle the denser-than-ever crowds, the rapidly growing adventure capital retains corners of stillness and beauty.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There’s not much Kamilla Karthigesu enjoys more than throwing people under the bus in the game of Survivor.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 Apr. 2026
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Robert Patrick prefers not to participate in Hollywood events and rather enjoys spending time with his wife, dogs and attending church.—
Janelle Ash , Larry Fink,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Possesses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/possesses. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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