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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of profess
Instead of a mutual parting of ways, Howard professes his love for Nancy and proposes that the two be together.
—
Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2026
Aronofsky professed his deep affection for Mexico, calling it his favorite destination.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 26 Apr. 2026
Sixty-one names will be on the June 2 primary ballot, including 10 leaders who profess to be serious about seeking the office.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026
The promise is more audacious even than most who profess Christianity can fully understand.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for profess
Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2026
Aronofsky professed his deep affection for Mexico, calling it his favorite destination.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 26 Apr. 2026
Sixty-one names will be on the June 2 primary ballot, including 10 leaders who profess to be serious about seeking the office.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026
The promise is more audacious even than most who profess Christianity can fully understand.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for profess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profess
Verb
-
Herbert's not going through the motions and pretending to be a relationship with a pop singer like some aging tight end.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
-
The problem is what happens when couples pretend otherwise.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Its stranglehold over the country became evident last year when the group declared a fuel blockade of Mali’s capital, Bamako.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
10 May 2026
-
On April 27, 2026, Ambassador Michael Waltz launched the ‘Trade Over Aid’ initiative declaring that private-sector investment and bilateral trade agreements would replace development grants as America’s primary tool of global engagement.—
Jesse Pines,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Success at tests like puzzles and mazes, which appeared to Washburn to be the result of reasoning, or insight—observation and detection—Thorndike insisted was instead merely the result of blundering, repetition, and trial and error.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
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In an age where most people view art not with their eyes, but through the lens of technology, Abramović banned the use of phones in her show, insisting that people be fully present in the work.—
Fiona Sinclair Scott,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Human operators continuously monitor the systems and can assume manual control when necessary.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
-
The aether, it was assumed, was the medium inherent to space that all objects, from comets to planets to stars, traveled through.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Silvia and Guojun were now attempting to assert custody rights over the infant there, along with the newborns whom surrogates had recently birthed in Georgia and Virginia.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
-
As Sportico explained, class counsel Steve Berman and Jeffrey Kessler assert multimedia rights companies including Learfield, Playfly Sports and JMI Sports—and third-party brand sponsors including banks, apparel companies, airlines and car dealerships—aren’t associated entities.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The state alleges Netflix then shared or disclosed portions of that information to commercial data brokers and advertising technology firms, allowing the data to be combined with information collected elsewhere online to create detailed consumer profiles.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
11 May 2026
-
Attorneys representing the family of Florida State University shooting victim Tiru Chabba have filed a federal lawsuit against OpenAI and its artificial intelligence platform ChatGPT, alleging that the company could have done more to prevent the shooting.—
ByDeena Zaru,
ABC News,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Dick Clark Productions and Sony Pictures Television’s 19 Entertainment were behind the series, which featured weekly dance challenges intended to simulate the realities of a successful dance career.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
11 May 2026
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Cutting back the plants severely will simulate late new growth, which will be very susceptible to winter kill.—
Marie Iannotti,
The Spruce,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Again, the show is insistent on proclaiming Val’s greatness without putting in the work.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
11 May 2026
-
The ruling, upheld by the state Supreme Court, prompted the mayor, who proclaimed at the time that failure was not an option, to pursue other options to make the project’s tall buildings possible.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Profess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profess. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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