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
On Utah's next possession, Jamichael Stillwell fouled McHenry on a 3-point attempt who then went to the foul line and sank all three free throws with 13 seconds remaining.
—
ABC News, 22 Feb. 2026
Pritchard went 6-for-11 from beyond the arc in that win, hitting deep threes on consecutive fourth-quarter possessions to help Boston survive a late Warriors comeback.
—Zack Cox, Hartford Courant, 22 Feb. 2026
James and Reaves funneled in seven points apiece, while Doncic heated up with a 3-pointer over Clippers guards Kris Dunn and Jordan Miller on a double-team attempt, an alley-oop pass to Jaxson Hayes, and a step-back 3-pointer to cap a three-possession clinic.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 21 Feb. 2026
Both of Janson’s baskets extended two-point leads and came off feeds from sophomore guard Ethan Vahl, who finished with a game-high 29 points as the Panthers (21-8, 11-4) grabbed sole possession of second place in conference with one game remaining.
—Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for possession
ABC News, 22 Feb. 2026
Pritchard went 6-for-11 from beyond the arc in that win, hitting deep threes on consecutive fourth-quarter possessions to help Boston survive a late Warriors comeback.
—Zack Cox, Hartford Courant, 22 Feb. 2026
James and Reaves funneled in seven points apiece, while Doncic heated up with a 3-pointer over Clippers guards Kris Dunn and Jordan Miller on a double-team attempt, an alley-oop pass to Jaxson Hayes, and a step-back 3-pointer to cap a three-possession clinic.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 21 Feb. 2026
Both of Janson’s baskets extended two-point leads and came off feeds from sophomore guard Ethan Vahl, who finished with a game-high 29 points as the Panthers (21-8, 11-4) grabbed sole possession of second place in conference with one game remaining.
—Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for possession
Recent Examples of Synonyms for possession
Noun
-
Belt-Stubblefield ignored orders to stop and raised his hands, and Neely punched him in an attempt to de-escalate the situation, according to Chamberlain’s account in the days after the shooting.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
24 Feb. 2026
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Goldberg's relatable flub came amid a Hot Topics discussion about Punch, an adorable macaque whose story of abandonment and bullying at the hands of other primates inside his Japanese zoo enclosure took the internet by storm across the last week.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Simply load up your car with your belongings and let Amtrak do the hard part lifting.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
24 Feb. 2026
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To think of an unhoused person’s meager belongings ending up in a dumpster!—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Signed in May 1977, the order mandates that federal agencies avoid, to the extent possible, the long- and short-term adverse impacts associated with the occupancy and modification of floodplains.—
Keith Matheny,
Freep.com,
27 Feb. 2026
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For the Lunar New Year, the company said the top 10 destinations, with hotel occupancy rates of 90% or higher, were all located in southern or coastal cities, including Sanya in the tropical island province of Hainan.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
So during the warmup skate, before every Canucks game that Myers’ family attends, Garland waves at Tristan and then demonstrates a penalty for Tristan’s enjoyment.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Kaplan himself believes the wine will hold up for 30 years but thinks that maximum enjoyment will be derived from it within five to seven.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Until these two things occur, basic accountability and justice will remain out of reach.—
Amy Wallace,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
How about the little things, like mini bar, or shower goodies.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Those under occupation, dictatorship, persecution, and those experiencing genocide.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Feb. 2026
-
The British, having escaped German occupation, could still indulge in military pomp; elsewhere in Western Europe, martial pride and overt patriotism were distasteful reminders of a dark past.—
Ian Buruma,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Northeast started the week buried in snow, but thankfully in Chicago our streets stayed clear of the white stuff.—
Grace Miserocchi,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
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At that same time, Kale and I were drinking too much and probably into some other nasty stuff.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Social Circle location would be just one of 23 warehouses needing to be converted for human habitation.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
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Thomas was indicted for burglary of a habitation and could face 2 to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.—
Ginger Allen,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Possession.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/possession. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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