1
as in to pretend
to present a false appearance of
professed friendship while secretly plotting revenge
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to declare
to state clearly and strongly
the lonely woman professed her love in a series of letters to the soldier
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to insist
to state as a fact usually forcefully
he professed his innocence to anyone who would listen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of profess
The godmother always offers introductory remarks and Jolie maximized her time by professing a love for international cinema while staying true to her humanitarian activism and calling attention to tragic stories of women who lost their lives amid war and conflict abroad.
—
Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2025
Simpson had always professed innocence but was later found liable for the deaths in a separate civil case, and subsequently served nine years in prison on unrelated charges.
—Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 16 May 2025
Is a beautiful bride and a handsome groom having their lovely wedding interrupted by another handsome man standing up and professing his love for the beautiful bride, and then handsome man and beautiful bride running away together memorable?
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 9 May 2025
The two chatted about the upcoming race, with the three-time champion professing his love for the trophy for the winner of today's Grand Prix.
—Alex Harrington, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for profess
Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2025
Simpson had always professed innocence but was later found liable for the deaths in a separate civil case, and subsequently served nine years in prison on unrelated charges.
—Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 16 May 2025
Is a beautiful bride and a handsome groom having their lovely wedding interrupted by another handsome man standing up and professing his love for the beautiful bride, and then handsome man and beautiful bride running away together memorable?
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 9 May 2025
The two chatted about the upcoming race, with the three-time champion professing his love for the trophy for the winner of today's Grand Prix.
—Alex Harrington, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for profess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profess
Verb
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Have you ever been contacted by someone pretending to be Elon Musk?—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
26 June 2025
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The show then cut over to a Good Morning America clip that sees Haines pretend to faint when the superhero swings into frame.—
Emlyn Travis Published,
EW.com,
26 June 2025
Verb
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And the Justice Department warned that declaring the funding scheme unconstitutional would jeopardize many other programs.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
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The driver of the Pathfinder was declared dead just before 2 p.m. The other two drivers were taken to hospitals with unspecified injuries, according to the release.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
28 June 2025
Verb
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In recent years, Iran has refused to engage in direct discussions with U.S. officials about its nuclear program and instead has insisted on indirect talks, with each government relaying messages through intermediaries.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
20 June 2025
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The barrage led Israel’s defense minister to overtly threaten Iran’s supreme leader. Israel, meanwhile, struck Iran’s heavy water reactor, part of the country’s nuclear program, which its government insists is meant for peaceful purposes only.—
Elena Becatoros,
Chicago Tribune,
20 June 2025
Verb
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Some may assume that losing teeth is just part of growing older.—
Reem Amro,
FOXNews.com,
22 June 2025
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This is assuming that the plants in question are ones that need full sun.—
Dr. Matthew Lisy,
Hartford Courant,
21 June 2025
Verb
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America asserted its position, secured a partner through alignment against common rivals, and laid the groundwork for its emergence as a global superpower.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
21 June 2025
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Bayern asserted their dominance over Group C by thrashing Auckland City in their Club World Cup opener 10-0.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 June 2025
Verb
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More Associated Press, Getty Images Victims and their families allege that Palestinian operatives were either directly involved in or incited the attacks.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
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More than a decade later, the case took stunning new turns, authorities alleging an elaborate scheme orchestrated from behind prison walls by the man convicted of killing him.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
20 June 2025
Verb
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Caterpillar has invested significantly in smart sensors for real-time machine monitoring, Ford simulates assembly lines to detect bottlenecks before implementing real-world updates, and GE used autonomous mobile robots to increase throughput in its medical equipment repair center.—
Kristen Waggoner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
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These exercises simulate real-world ransomware attack scenarios, allowing teams to practice their response, uncover weaknesses in security posture, refine communication protocols and build confidence, all without requiring new tools or costly technology investments.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
Verb
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The holiday marks the date in 1865 – more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation – that Major General Gordon Granger and 2,000 Union Army troops came to Galveston Bay, Texas, to proclaim freedom for more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
20 June 2025
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In front of an excited crowd of Venezuelans in Miami in 2019, the president proclaimed that Maduro’s days were numbered.—
Gisela Salim-Peyer,
The Atlantic,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Profess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profess. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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