as in adept
having or showing exceptional knowledge, experience, or skill in a field of endeavor
a professed analyst of American presidential politics
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in pretended
to present a false appearance of
professed friendship while secretly plotting revenge
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in declared
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 alleged
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 professed
Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 26 Feb. 2026
Mulier is a professed fan and student of Versace.
—Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for professed
Adjective
Hollywood is divided on the deals, with some preferring Netflix because of its public commitments and a relative lack of overlap with WBD, and others Paramount, given David Ellison’s professed love for the business.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 26 Feb. 2026
Mulier is a professed fan and student of Versace.
—Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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
See All Example Sentences for professed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for professed
Adjective
-
Coiled on the sofa, Waddingham appears relaxed, but is adept at batting away questions that have the potential to elicit a controversial answer.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
30 May 2026
-
Valentine managed with what his admirers would call flair and his detractors bravado (and few in the sport’s history have been as adept at creating admirers and detractors in equal measure as Valentine).—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Faced with one of Musk’s seemingly impossible mandates, those strong employees rarely pretended to already know the solution.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
23 May 2026
-
His wife fell to the floor and pretended to be dead, and Little was pronounced dead at a hospital.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
All remaining evacuation orders were lifted in Orange County on Tuesday evening as authorities declared there was no remaining danger of an explosion, chemical leak or fire stemming from a hazardous material incident at an aerospace manufacturing plant.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2026
-
But rather than wallow, De Zerbi boldly declared his new team could win all of their remaining five matches.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Prosecutors have alleged that the men killed Vega to prevent her from cooperating with authorities or as retaliation for cooperating.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
28 May 2026
-
The investigative document obtained by the Pioneer Press shows that city officials believe O’Hara interfered with the investigation by the law firm Forsgren Fisher by deleting from his cell phone the personal contact of one of the employees he was alleged to have had relations with.—
Kristi Miller,
Twin Cities,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
Workshop bookings from tourists are helping skilled craftspeople stay in business — and keeping the techniques themselves from disappearing.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
-
Evergreen Valley College sits right in the heart of East San José and produces talented, skilled graduates who are ready to work.—
Mercury News Editorial Board,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Top prospect Gage Jump was called up and assumed a spot in the rotation after starting later Tuesday.—
Sean Campbell,
Sacbee.com,
30 May 2026
-
Wang was elected to the City Council in November 2022 and eventually assumed the job of mayor, a position that rotates among the council members.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
At a progressive conference last fall, speaker after speaker asserted that Republican attacks on immigration, transgender participation in female sports, or any other political vulnerability could be defused by turning the issue back to billionaires.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
26 May 2026
-
Taken together, the collection serves as a haunting reminder that behind the execution numbers were people who asserted, one last time, what was important to them.—
Erik Ortiz,
NBC news,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
While many people online insisted the loft should be used as a bedroom, by simply placing a mattress on the floor, Giangreco quickly ruled that out for practical reasons that mattered far more to her than aesthetics.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
30 May 2026
-
Those plaintiffs also insisted that the rule would harm the health care workforce.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Professed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/professed. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
