as in owning
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 possessing
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
Daley was arrested by the Marana Police Department in Pima County on May 15, 2025, accused of selling drugs, possessing paraphernalia and a gun despite a prior felony conviction, according to the filings.
—Michael Ruiz , Christina Dugan Ramirez , Adriana James-Rodil, FOXNews.com, 21 Feb. 2026
Barnes is facing charges of assault on a peace officer, failure to comply, drug trafficking, possessing weapons under disability, and possession of criminal tools.
—Patrick Damp, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
Andrew Daniel Centeno, who confessed to possessing child pornography during the investigation, was taken into custody, according to the release.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Feb. 2026
Police said the 20-year-old Sacramento man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a gun at a school, a felony charge.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 19 Feb. 2026
Also under pressure is Starmer’s former chief of staff Matthew Doyle, now Lord Doyle, appointed to the House of Lords despite his friendship with a man later jailed for possessing indecent images of children.
—ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
The suspect, Carter Camacho of Smyrna, Georgia, was charged with unlawful activities, carrying a rifle without a license, possessing an unregistered firearm and possessing unregistered ammunition, police said.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
Several speakers said the restrictions put forward in the measure would put an unreasonable burden on service providers and facilities, who would be held liable if people seeking support are using or possessing drugs without their knowledge.
—Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch, 13 Feb. 2026
Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2026
Daley was arrested by the Marana Police Department in Pima County on May 15, 2025, accused of selling drugs, possessing paraphernalia and a gun despite a prior felony conviction, according to the filings.
—Michael Ruiz , Christina Dugan Ramirez , Adriana James-Rodil, FOXNews.com, 21 Feb. 2026
Barnes is facing charges of assault on a peace officer, failure to comply, drug trafficking, possessing weapons under disability, and possession of criminal tools.
—Patrick Damp, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
Andrew Daniel Centeno, who confessed to possessing child pornography during the investigation, was taken into custody, according to the release.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Feb. 2026
Police said the 20-year-old Sacramento man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a gun at a school, a felony charge.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 19 Feb. 2026
Also under pressure is Starmer’s former chief of staff Matthew Doyle, now Lord Doyle, appointed to the House of Lords despite his friendship with a man later jailed for possessing indecent images of children.
—ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
The suspect, Carter Camacho of Smyrna, Georgia, was charged with unlawful activities, carrying a rifle without a license, possessing an unregistered firearm and possessing unregistered ammunition, police said.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
Several speakers said the restrictions put forward in the measure would put an unreasonable burden on service providers and facilities, who would be held liable if people seeking support are using or possessing drugs without their knowledge.
—Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for possessing
Verb
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Along with being barred from owning any animals, Jeffes was ordered to stay away from the person who reported him.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
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Rather than building and owning its own facilities, OpenAI has shifted toward partnering with cloud providers and structuring deals that give it design control without heavy capital commitments.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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There were noticeable knock-on effects of having so few fixtures.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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Once chewed up by the machine of expectation and found guilty of the eternal athletic sin of having too much talent too soon, Liu has since learned how to spit back rather than be spit out.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Rocks and gravel can also help keep weeds at bay while retaining moisture, so try experimenting with different colors and textures to level up your curb appeal.—
Wendy Rose Gould,
Martha Stewart,
20 Feb. 2026
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Infused with Japanese white peony, known for its moisture-retaining properties, plus silk protein and peptide-rich whey protein, Tatcha’s cushiony eye cream is designed to melt away the look of wrinkles while visibly firming.—
Tracy Perez Han,
InStyle,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Winners will serve as island custodians, agreeing to basic stewardship responsibilities while enjoying peace, nature, and nearby local communities.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Feb. 2026
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Working parents may not be able to carve out the time needed for things like unstructured play or simply enjoying downtime with their kids.—
Alex Vance,
Parents,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Possessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/possessing. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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