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 In the following episode, Maggie professes her love to Lizzie. — Emma Banks, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026 Even though his only preseason success came on straight go balls that didn’t test his route running, coaches have professed faith in the 2025 third-round pick. — Chad Graff, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026 Inviting Fielder into their home to live with them and start recording their lives just 34 days before her incarceration, Holmes and her romantic partner, William ‘Billy’ Evans, profess her innocence on their own, intimate terms. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026 El-Sayed and Piker have professed their abhorrence of anti-Semitism. — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for profess

Recent Examples of Synonyms for profess

Verb

The leaders who were most effective could provide clarity to their teams without having to pretend to have all the answers.

— Tracy Nolan, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Also this year, Cohen’s press officer secretly was recorded by a woman who pretended to be on a date with him.

— Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of pretend

Verb

Attempting to de-escalate the scare, Rospotrebnadzor declared the regional sanitary situation stable after secondary testing showed no traces of dangerous pathogens linked to Shipilova’s research.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
Judge Sullivan declares a mistrial due to the deadlocked jury, ending the trial without a clear resolution.

— Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of declare

Verb

Strong will have to assert herself vocally, as well as with the ball.

— Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 1 Oct. 2026
Emirati prosecutors opened an investigation after a co-pilot stabbed his captain mid-flight, asserting jurisdiction over a crime that also concerns Saudi Arabia and Israel.

— Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of assert

Verb

In court on Saturday, prosecutor Mark Luckett alleged that the two men were in contact with an Iranian national, most likely operating from within Iran.

— Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2026
Amazon alleged that Muse stores customer credentials and scrapes account data, among other issues.

— Caleigh Keating, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of allege

Verb

Simulating an investment banker’s work is fundamentally different from simulating a software engineer’s work, CEO Jerry Wu tells Fortune.

— Wen Shao, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
For months before today’s launch, Google has been anticipating those problems on Earth, shaking spacecraft to simulate the launch and bombarding its chips with proton beams to test their response to radiation.

— Peter Hall, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of simulate

Verb

Cottonseed boosters proclaimed a transformation of waste into wealth.

— Edward D. Melillo, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026
When Arisa proclaims herself a Faithful, Michael looks hilariously stunned, and Alan tells them to weep for the fall of innocence and the failure of justice.

— Alice Burton, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of proclaim

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 6 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of profess

verb

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