possessing

verb

present participle of possess
as in owning
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 possessing The evidence led six jurors to find Turner guilty on eight charges related to possessing or promoting child abuse material. — Nikiya Carrero, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026 Prosecutors won a 77-year sentence on Wednesday for 27-year-old Kyle Spitze on charges of producing child pornography, possessing and accessing the material, and abetting the distribution of animal crush videos. — Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 20 Aug. 2026 Perkins pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, the release said. — Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026 Despite wanting to find identity outside of being a con artist, the contradiction at Lucky’s core is that she has been taught to exploit human connection while still possessing a deeply human capacity for it. — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026 Authorities also arrested four other occupants of the vehicle on suspicion of cargo theft, conspiracy and possessing burglary tools. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026 Anderson was previously arrested in May and charged in Denver County Court with possessing a gun while under the influence of alcohol and disorderly conduct in a separate incident. — Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 18 Aug. 2026 Fogel was imprisoned in 2021, sentenced to 14 years on charges of possessing marijuana. — Michael Loria, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026 Randy and Ramon Landa were also charged with being a felon possessing a weapon, sheriff’s police said. — Dennis Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for possessing
  1. owning
  2. having
  3. retaining
  4. enjoying
Verb
  • Owning a stake in a profitable, growing business that provides a wanted product or service over the long term is preferable to owning paper currency, which is destined to lose purchasing power over time.
    — Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • But on those platforms — which don’t have partnerships with LA28 — resellers can list tickets without actually owning them.
    — Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of owning
Verb
  • There’s a small kitchenette and landing with a dining table, nice for a morning coffee or simply the feeling of having a little more space.
    — Megan Rose Murray, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Stokes recalls shooting in downtown Charleston during season two and having 3,000 fans show up to watch the cast film.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of having
Verb
  • These are just a few examples of the many legitimate business purposes for retaining data.
    — Jodi Daniels, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Nordic spruce fir trees will provide the raw material, with the wood retaining biogenic carbon captured during growth.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of retaining
Verb
  • Off the red carpet, Elordi has been enjoying his time in London with rumored girlfriend Kendall Jenner.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Mario Lopez While Mario Lopez’s boys were getting ready for their first day of school, big sister Gia was still enjoying her summer break.
    — Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of enjoying

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possessing
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Cite this Entry

“Possessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/possessing. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on possessing

Nglish: Translation of possessing for Spanish Speakers

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