possesses

verb

present tense third-person singular of possess
as in owns
to keep, control, or experience as one's own she possesses a keen insight into people

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 possesses The Justice Department argued that the decision demonstrated that Congress possesses at least some authority to establish voter qualifications in federal elections. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026 When new, concrete possesses a thin, temporarily protective layer that, if not maintained, will wear away, exposing the interior, which gradually crumbles. — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 Trump already possesses a Nobel medal, just not one awarded to him. — ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026 Just as Carolyn remained her authentic self despite all eyes being on her, Sarah possesses that same rare individuality. — Sarah Michelle Gellar, Time, 30 Sep. 2026 The show now possesses a spirit so exuberant as to enthrall for its joyous 80 minutes of running time. — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 29 Sep. 2026 General maturity—how someone presents themselves, exhibits accountability, practices focused listening and possesses emotional intelligence is essential. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026 The immediate significance lies in confirming that hafnia possesses the underlying property naturally. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026 The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which draws its authority from the CEA, possesses exclusive jurisdiction over swaps. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 26 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for possesses
  1. owns
  2. has
  3. retains
  4. enjoys
Verb
  • Also at the White House on Tuesday was Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who owns The Washington Post.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Snap, the parent company that owns Snapchat, led the pack along with X, formerly known as Twitter, and Microsoft.
    — Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of owns
Verb
  • In emergency decisions, by contrast, the president has a much stronger track record of wins.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The pool has shallow areas for little ones to play in, and the Opium Spa offers treatments tailored to kids and teens.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of has
Verb
  • Rice University researchers found that the material retains directional spin fluctuations even after conventional magnetic order disappears.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Trump retains enormous influence among the Republican voters who powered his ascent, even as dissatisfaction with his leadership threatens candidates who must appeal beyond his most committed supporters.
    — Cat Zakrzewski, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of retains
Verb
  • And among recent film offerings are movie shot locally as the Garden State enjoys a Hollywood production boom underpinned by film tax credits and other state incentives and local hires.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Staying away would mean accepting that people living through war, displacement and climate disaster become the last to benefit from technologies everyone else enjoys.
    — Jeannie Annan, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of enjoys

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Cite this Entry

“Possesses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/possesses. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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