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
Witness after witness took to the stand and described interactions that seemed surprising for a man whose wife had just died - especially a man who professed to love her and claimed that the shooting was accidental.
—
Lauren A. White, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
Off the court, Ivey has professed his faith before, but his recent social media videos took on a stronger tone, leading to his dismissal from the Bulls.
—Matthew Davis, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for profess
Lauren A. White, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
Off the court, Ivey has professed his faith before, but his recent social media videos took on a stronger tone, leading to his dismissal from the Bulls.
—Matthew Davis, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for profess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profess
Verb
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And its erasure marked the beginning of centuries of political attempts to pretend that slavery never happened.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Online adult platforms are being severely restricted these days as new laws banning materials involving adults pretending to be under 18 are put into place.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
3 May 2026
Verb
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This year marks two centuries since Jefferson’s death and two hundred and fifty years since the United States declared its independence by issuing arguably the most important piece of prose in modern history.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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In addition to state amphibian, this year’s bill also declares Connecticut to be the birthplace of the Boys and Girls Club and names Housatonic marble — which is found throughout the state and forms part of the state Capitol — as state rock.—
Theo Peck-Suzuki,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
Verb
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Instead, a top Justice Department official insisted the ruling wasn't binding, and the administration continued denying detainees around the country a chance for release.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 May 2026
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Instead, a top Justice Department official insisted the ruling wasn’t binding, and the administration continued denying detainees around the country a chance for release.—
Sudhin Thanawala,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
Verb
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California’s plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 assumes a steep drop in driving.—
Aaron Cantú,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
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Many programs rely on standardized intervention lists, assuming similar outcomes across suppliers when every facility operates under its own set of constraints, meaning what succeeds in one place could prove a bust in another.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Louisiana sued to restrict access to mifepristone, asserting that its availability undermined the ban there.—
Mark Sherman,
Twin Cities,
4 May 2026
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The improved momentum behind IGV and relative 'buy' signals versus the SPX suggest software stocks are asserting themselves as a new source of leadership within the technology sector.—
Katie Stockton,
CNBC,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Because Pe’Sla was not included as an affected area and no environmental review was conducted, the approval violates the National Historic Preservation Act and National Environmental Policy Act, the lawsuit alleges.—
Sarah Raza,
Los Angeles Times,
5 May 2026
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The two are also accused of misuse of public benefits, fraudulent representations to government agencies and financial transactions alleged to conceal proceeds of criminal activity.—
Brandon Downs,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Unlike more common software programs and plugins that simulate violin sounds via sampling, averaging the final sound from thousands of notes, the MIT model is based on the fundamental physics of the instrument.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
4 May 2026
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By analyzing the optical properties of various microplastics in the lab and simulating their effect on a global scale, the new study’s authors estimated that microplastics’ warming abilities outweigh their potential cooling effects—something current climate models don’t account for.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
4 May 2026
Verb
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In his first Inaugural Address, on March 4, 1861, with seven states having already seceded from the Union, Lincoln proclaimed the essence of secession to be anarchy.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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Some in the media proclaimed this the best offense in history.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Profess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profess. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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