1
as in to pretend
to present a false appearance of
professed friendship while secretly plotting revenge
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of profess
Look, Emmel never professed to be perfect, which is also his point.
—
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026
The act of professing an oath on a sacred text not only signals fidelity to the Gospel message but also underscores the primacy of scripture to the archbishop’s ministry, a fitting gesture for the nominal leader of one of the largest branches of Christianity.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Mar. 2026
The countries involved, at the time of the USMCA’s negotiation, professed a desire to reduce reliance on China.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 18 Mar. 2026
Trump often professes his support for farmers.
—Anthony Pahnke, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for profess
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026
The act of professing an oath on a sacred text not only signals fidelity to the Gospel message but also underscores the primacy of scripture to the archbishop’s ministry, a fitting gesture for the nominal leader of one of the largest branches of Christianity.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Mar. 2026
The countries involved, at the time of the USMCA’s negotiation, professed a desire to reduce reliance on China.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 18 Mar. 2026
Trump often professes his support for farmers.
—Anthony Pahnke, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for profess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profess
Verb
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Wolf, ruled out for the season Friday but still available for his exit interview before Sunday’s game, didn’t pretend the season has been enjoyable.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
5 Apr. 2026
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This team is improved, has a deeper roster, no longer pretends Kris Bryant is a major league player and features more functional pitchers (No, seriously).—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
California declared a moratorium on offshore-drilling projects.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
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But Roosevelt later declared his time there a glorious period of strenuous living and personal rebirth.—
Beverly Gage,
The Atlantic,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Yet to a man, those who endured last season and remained insist this has been better, even as the standings tell an all-too-familiar story.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Israeli forces have continued strikes on Hezbollah as Iran insists a broader ceasefire includes an end to Israeli strikes in Lebanon.—
Dalia Abdelwahab,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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All of this is assuming the team actually takes part, which Iranian officials called into question because of the country's war with the United States and Israel.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Caterpillar veteran Kyle Epley was promoted to CFO effective May 1, at which time Bonfield will assume an advisory role.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Trump has asserted himself as the nation's top law enforcer in his second term, personally directing the attorney general and other top officials on whom to investigate and whom to prosecute.—
Devin Dwyer,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
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The founders, who included Altman, Sutskever, Brockman, and Elon Musk, asserted that artificial intelligence could be the most powerful, and potentially dangerous, invention in human history, and that perhaps, given the existential risk, an unusual corporate structure would be required.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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All three lawsuits allege retaliation by town officials against the plaintiffs.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Apr. 2026
-
OpenAI is now facing seven wrongful-death lawsuits, which allege that ChatGPT prompted several suicides and a murder.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The first of these was a centrifuge, like those that astronauts use to simulate the high-gravity conditions of a rocket launch.—
Ian Stokes,
Space.com,
5 Apr. 2026
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For example, Glover, Koch and Hansen practiced CPR in space, taking turns bracing against Orion’s bulkhead to gain leverage to simulate chest compressions and rescue breathing while recording the proceedings for future crew trainings.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As Orbán over the past decade took a forceful stance against migrants and refugees and proclaimed himself Europe's champion of illiberal Christian democracy, Budapest became a magnet for American conservatives.—
Catherine Belton The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
6 Apr. 2026
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Two weeks later, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned from exile in Iraq and led a drive to abolish the monarchy and proclaim an Islamic government.—
Jeffrey Fields,
The Conversation,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Profess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profess. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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