PROFESS Synonyms: 109 Similar and Opposite Words

profess

verb

prə-ˈfes

Definition of profess

as in to pretend

to present a false appearance of professed friendship while secretly plotting revenge

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of profess McAfee has professed the benefits of unpasteurized milk in public libraries and chiropractor offices. — CNN Money, 14 June 2026 Montgomery, who previously professed his innocence in court, did not attend his trial and was not present when jurors returned their verdict in 2024, USA TODAY previously reported. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 12 June 2026 And, on more than one occasion, Seth and Scott have professed their love for Patton. — Jason Pettigrew, SPIN, 11 June 2026 McAfee has professed the benefits of unpasteurized milk in public libraries and chiropractor offices. — Annie Waldman, ProPublica, 9 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for profess

Recent Examples of Synonyms for profess

Verb

But the favor economy has a bias problem baked into its wiring, and pretending otherwise helps no one.

— Jasmine Browley, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Julius and Ethel, this guest insisted, were both guilty as charged, and to pretend otherwise was a pinko fantasy.

— Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026

Definition of pretend

Verb

In 2012, when Mark Walter and his partners bought the Dodgers, team president Stan Kasten declared mediocrity would no longer be acceptable.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
However, the polarizing trend has officially been declared *the* pants of summer 2026 thanks to celebrities like Kendall Jenner, Jennifer Lopez, Hailey Bieber, and Gwyneth Paltrow.

— Tessa Petak, InStyle, 6 July 2026

Definition of declare

Verb

Iran insists on retaining control over shipping through the waterway and says vessels should instead use routes through its own territorial waters.

— Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
Indeed, Brocka insists on escapist fantasies in a world that otherwise offers no escape, which, in my view, is more hopeful than bleak — and, in turn, allows this kind of gritty sensuality to persist in his ever-enduring, luminous cinema.

— Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 10 July 2026

Definition of insist

Verb

Some Cuba watchers are skeptical Rodríguez Castro could assume a leading role in the official government.

— Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Vahidi, who assumed the role after his predecessor Mohammad Pakpour was killed in US-Israeli strikes on the first day of the war, is rarely seen in public.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 5 July 2026

Definition of assume

Verb

Education advocates have asserted that California schools are legally entitled to billions more under state law.

— Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Some researchers have asserted that agents need particular kinds of internal architectures to govern the relationships between senses, cognitive processes, actions, and needs.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 8 July 2026

Definition of assert

Verb

Oshea Orchid, a local lawyer, filed the first class-action lawsuit in 2023 against the operators of the county’s second-largest landfill, alleging the fumes were sickening her neighbors, causing headaches and heart palpitations.

— Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
Apple leveled major allegations against OpenAI and some of its staffers Friday, alleging the ChatGPT maker systematically directed current and former Apple employees to bring secret information over to OpenAI.

— Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 11 July 2026

Definition of allege

Verb

During its week-long test this past March, engineering teams monitored ERNEST across several navigational scenarios, including traveling at night and other poor lighting conditions to simulate certain lunar environments.

— Josh Dinner, Space.com, 5 July 2026
These digital tools are built upon real-world operational datasets gathered from active fusion research environments, which will allow the company to simulate and optimize fuel handling processes before physical implementation.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 5 July 2026

Definition of simulate

Browse Nearby Words

profanity

profess

professed

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Style

“Profess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profess. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of profess

verb

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