1
as in hands
the fact or state of having (something) at one's disposal
a student who was found to have several overdue library books in his possession
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in belongings
possessions plural
transportable items that one owns
we packed up all of our possessions and excitedly moved into a new house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in occupancy
the act or fact of residing in a place
squatters had established possession in the abandoned warehouse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of possession
It's named after the owner of the mine, Thomas Cullinan, and has been in the possession of the British monarchy since 1907.
—
Emma Banks, InStyle, 7 Jan. 2026
Nevada turns it over on its next two possessions and doesn’t make a basket in its final five.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
On the final possession, Stirtz missed two of Iowa’s three 3-point attempts on the final possession, including one at the buzzer.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 7 Jan. 2026
That man was arrested, along with Lozano, in an unrelated drug and gun possession investigation later that same day.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for possession
Emma Banks, InStyle, 7 Jan. 2026
Nevada turns it over on its next two possessions and doesn’t make a basket in its final five.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
On the final possession, Stirtz missed two of Iowa’s three 3-point attempts on the final possession, including one at the buzzer.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 7 Jan. 2026
That man was arrested, along with Lozano, in an unrelated drug and gun possession investigation later that same day.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for possession
Recent Examples of Synonyms for possession
Noun
-
Ross, who was one of several federal agents involved in the arrest, initially drew his service weapon, but holstered the gun after Muñoz-Guatemala stopped his car and raised his hands, according to the affidavit.—
Allison Gordon,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
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The deadly shooting of a 37-year-old woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in a residential neighborhood in south Minneapolis has brought back painful memories of another high-profile incident in which a civilian died at the hands of a law enforcement officer.—
Jonah Kaplan,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Rourke’s longtime assistant is on vacation, and while his team was first trying to avoid eviction altogether, the actor suddenly needed a new place to stay, movers and a storage shed for his belongings, none of which were in the offing.—
Tom Tapp,
Deadline,
6 Jan. 2026
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The suspects hit him with the rifles and demanded belongings from him.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The occupancy rate for its homes and affiliate hotels also dropped from 73% to 56% during that same period, although a $300 increase in average daily rates made up some of the difference.—
Max Scheinblum,
Denver Post,
7 Nov. 2025
-
One single occupancy, accessible restroom in the Music Theater lobby.—
Sheila Regan,
Twin Cities,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Moviegoers' comic enjoyment was so prominent that at one point, a foul-mouthed viewer yelled for everyone to shut up.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
31 Oct. 2025
-
In almost every case, those who took photos reported greater levels of enjoyment.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Those on nine-month contracts must devote 480 hours to instruction — which can include things like lab work, clinical work and internships in addition to lecture time — over the course of the contract.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Nov. 2025
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Because, in waking life, the truth is that things haven’t been the same since the strain of raising two young kids started to wear on their parents.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Following the German occupation in March 1944, Hungarian and Nazi authorities deported approximately 430,000–440,000 Jews to Auschwitz in a matter of weeks, most of whom were murdered on arrival.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
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The occupation lasted 19 years.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In other words, pedestrian stuff that doesn’t light up social media or earn an invitation to hold forth on one of the Beltway chat shows.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
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Beyond politics, what about the more inside baseball industry stuff?—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Work at the site to determine a more detailed timeline of dinosaur habitation began in 2011.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
23 Oct. 2025
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In a year, Phoenix saw a sharp rise in homelessness In 2024, an annual count of people experiencing homelessness in Phoenix decreased for the first time in years, with 2,701 people found in places unfit for habitation, a 19% drop from the 3,333 people reported in 2023.—
Helen Rummel,
AZCentral.com,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Possession.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/possession. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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