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
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 brothers discussed that game on their Einfach Mal Luppen podcast the week, with Toni professing a fondness for Dan Burn’s agricultural style.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 22 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
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 brothers discussed that game on their Einfach Mal Luppen podcast the week, with Toni professing a fondness for Dan Burn’s agricultural style.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 22 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
See All Example Sentences for profess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profess
Verb
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Salzhauer has also alluded to Rizzi's claims on his TikTok page, posting a spoof video where one of his employees pretends to wake him up by playing one of Rizzi's viral videos.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
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The hackers, thought to be working on behalf of the DPRK, approached Drift team members at a cryptocurrency conference in late 2025 and pretended to be from a trading firm looking to build on the blockchain protocol.—
Jack Kubinec,
Fortune,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In the mid-seventies, Vince drove McMahon, who was pregnant with Stephanie, to a courthouse to declare bankruptcy.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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On Friday, Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz fully open to commercial traffic, sending crude prices tumbling more than 10%.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This has inevitably led to some conflicts; Hollywood actors tend to insist on their own way of doing things on set, Yang said.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
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The Cuban government initially insisted that no deadline was offered and the talks were nothing but respectful.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Many assume its American branch is a similar money pit.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
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So our guys moved up, assuming it was not caught.—
Lou Ponsi,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Some young men, eager to assert their Americanness, answered yes to both questions and volunteered for military service; members of the all-Japanese 442nd Regimental Combat Team quickly became war heroes.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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Rather than opening the Strait of Hormuz, the critical commercial waterway that before the war carried 20% of the world’s oil, both sides have sought to assert more control over the area.—
Justin Fishel,
ABC News,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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An April report alleged that multiple text messages between Chavez-DeRemer, her family and young female staff members at the Department of Labor were the subject of another internal investigation, The New York Times reported.—
Brooke Migdon,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
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Prosecutors allege McCaffrey purposely caused McBride’s death or serious bodily injury resulting in her death on or about June 23, 1990, in Vernon Township.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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His findings reflect the experience of the company’s Frontier Red Team, a group of 15 Anthropic employees tasked with challenging cybersecurity by simulating adversarial attacks.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
16 Apr. 2026
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An Alabama rig simulates an entire school of baitfish by bringing five or more swimbaits together in one seamless rig.—
Derek Horner,
Outdoor Life,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Second-year guard Saniya Rivers, who proclaimed herself head coach Rachid Meziane‘s favorite, even convinced the French head coach to perform the viral scuba dance with her.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2026
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In a ceremony at Victory Ford in Kansas City, Kansas, less than two miles from the speedway, Thursday was proclaimed Dystany Spurlock Day in Kansas City by KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas and the Kansas House of Representatives.—
PJ Green
April 17,
Kansas City Star,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Profess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profess. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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