1
as in pretending
to present a false appearance of
professed friendship while secretly plotting revenge
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in declaring
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 insisting
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 professing
Warning signs, per federal guidance, can include someone quickly professing love, claiming to live far away, requests to move conversations to other apps and having bad grammar.
—
Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
Brady concluded his own explanation by professing his love of the game.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025
Despite professing fidelity to free enterprise, conservatives have repeatedly backed government interventions that advantage corporations.
—Allan J. Lichtman, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
This is the month to really practice living beyond the binary instead of just professing it.
—Colin Bedell, Them., 17 Sep. 2025
James Dobson, once the most powerful tentpole of the Religious Right and a kingmaker for politicians professing faith, died Thursday, his family announced.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 21 Aug. 2025
In the Netflix dramedy Too Much, a brokenhearted American, Jess, makes the move across the pond, inspired in part by daydreams of stately castles, rolling green hills and dashing gentlemen professing their ardent admiration.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2025
Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
Brady concluded his own explanation by professing his love of the game.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025
Despite professing fidelity to free enterprise, conservatives have repeatedly backed government interventions that advantage corporations.
—Allan J. Lichtman, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
This is the month to really practice living beyond the binary instead of just professing it.
—Colin Bedell, Them., 17 Sep. 2025
James Dobson, once the most powerful tentpole of the Religious Right and a kingmaker for politicians professing faith, died Thursday, his family announced.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 21 Aug. 2025
In the Netflix dramedy Too Much, a brokenhearted American, Jess, makes the move across the pond, inspired in part by daydreams of stately castles, rolling green hills and dashing gentlemen professing their ardent admiration.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for professing
Verb
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Beneath the prosthetics and punchlines lies a story about the cost of pretending and the possibility of renewal.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
30 Sep. 2025
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Burnett learned how to disassociate, pretending at bath time to be a mermaid or drawing comics about a fictional happy family.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The president signed an executive order in September declaring antifa a domestic terrorist organization.—
Molly Parks,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Oct. 2025
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That included openly declaring his hatred for the LDS church.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Democrats are also insisting on reversing cuts to Medicaid that were included the GOP’s signature tax measure earlier this year.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
28 Sep. 2025
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The government has adopted a different tone, placing her name on the FBI's Most Wanted list, and insisting her return is key to normalizing relations with Cuba.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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First introduced in The Clone Wars, Anakin Skywalker's Jedi apprentice finally made her live-action debut in season 2 of The Mandalorian, with Rosario Dawson assuming the role with cool confidence.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Sep. 2025
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But Shetty cautions against assuming a constant upward curve.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Union attorneys argue the OMB overstepped its legal authority, asserting that federal law does not permit reductions in force during a lapse in appropriations.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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In asserting a public interest in making the airwaves safe for the First Amendment, the words of a Mae West or a Jimmy Kimmel may be the best place to draw a line in the ether.—
Thomas Doherty,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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LeMaistre testified earlier in the day, recounting her grief over losing her newborn son and alleging the incident left her unable to form healthy relationships and disrupted her dream of one day getting married.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
26 Sep. 2025
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The mosque was also the subject of a lengthy legal battle after local opponents sued the county, alleging that approval should not have been given to the mosque for construction.—
Angele Latham,
Nashville Tennessean,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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From the famous slow-motion runs on the sand, to diving into crashing waves, to simulating mid-ocean rescues, Baywatch took a toll on the cast that also included Alexandra Paul, Gregory Alan Williams, Yasmine Bleeth, and Wendie Malick.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Sep. 2025
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These tools, often referred to as AI agents, analyze vast amounts of operational data in real time, simulating future conditions, identifying early warning signs, and recommending immediate fixes.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Trump has been proclaiming for years that his political opponents should be locked up, but there is a gulf between loudly alleging criminal behavior and amassing the evidence necessary to prove the elements of an actual crime.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
21 Sep. 2025
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On Thursday, the day after Kirk died,, for example, the X account of AI chatbot Perplexity was confidently proclaiming that Kirk was still alive.—
Emma Woollacott,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Professing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/professing. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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