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
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
Columbia Acting President Claire Shipman wrote in a morning email to students and faculty the Department of Homeland Security gained access to the Manhattan building by professing to be searching for a missing person.
—Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 26 Feb. 2026
Quenneville likes the comparison to Perry, professing an affinity for a player who was, for years, an adversarial nuisance.
—Eric Stephens, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
In response, Carlson sent Goldberg a series of hostile texts professing ignorance and warning Goldberg not to make his criticism public.
—Jason Zengerle, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
Murph the Surf and two of his boys were collared two days later, professing that the goods were gone.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Texas pulled off an upset against in-state rival Texas A&M on Friday night in a thrilling 27-17 victory that had head coach Steve Sarkisian professing his 9-3 Longhorns should make the College Football Playoff.
—Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
Meghan Markle is professing her love for Prince Harry five years after the couple’s royal exit.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 20 Nov. 2025
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
Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Mar. 2026
Columbia Acting President Claire Shipman wrote in a morning email to students and faculty the Department of Homeland Security gained access to the Manhattan building by professing to be searching for a missing person.
—Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 26 Feb. 2026
Quenneville likes the comparison to Perry, professing an affinity for a player who was, for years, an adversarial nuisance.
—Eric Stephens, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
In response, Carlson sent Goldberg a series of hostile texts professing ignorance and warning Goldberg not to make his criticism public.
—Jason Zengerle, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
Murph the Surf and two of his boys were collared two days later, professing that the goods were gone.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Texas pulled off an upset against in-state rival Texas A&M on Friday night in a thrilling 27-17 victory that had head coach Steve Sarkisian professing his 9-3 Longhorns should make the College Football Playoff.
—Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
Meghan Markle is professing her love for Prince Harry five years after the couple’s royal exit.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 20 Nov. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for professing
Verb
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In the office a week later, Jones continued pacing back and forth in the warehouse, pretending to be in a war movie while Buckley was in the hallway, calling the police.—
Josh Owens,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Apr. 2026
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Kingston police launched an investigation last week after the Silver Lake Regional High School employee, whose name was not released, was allegedly seen having conversations with a social media streamer pretending to be a young girl.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Noble says industry leaders declaring how AI is going to get rid of labor has sparked a significant reaction.—
Lorena O’Neil,
Rolling Stone,
16 Apr. 2026
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The president has called to boost domestic energy and mineral production, declaring an energy emergency days after retaking office in January 2025.—
Todd Richmond,
Twin Cities,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Its run through its go-to bits, like Ron enjoying his isolation and Leslie insisting on a phone tree to foster togetherness, came with extra emotional impact this time.—
Jennifer Armstrong,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2026
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In the push to appoint bishops, popes were insisting that spiritual authority came from the church alone, challenging the idea that kings ruled by unchecked power.—
Joëlle Rollo-Koster,
Fortune,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Cook has led the company for almost 15 years, assuming the role shortly before founder Steve Jobs’ death in 2011.—
Jacqueline Munis,
Fortune,
21 Apr. 2026
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But Europe is also making a show of assuming more responsibility for Arctic operations.—
Alan Crawford,
Bloomberg,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Williams has sued unsuccessfully, though not asserting the constitutional claim made by McCaughey.—
Mark Pazniokas,
Hartford Courant,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Chapter 13 and the public’s responsibility Scott is not the only one asserting that the tools already exist for the public to access information under Chapter 13, also known as the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act.—
Mary Murphy,
Twin Cities,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Cher is again seeking a conservatorship over her son Elijah Blue Allman, alleging that his drug addiction has severely affected his mental health and led to mounting debt.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
19 Apr. 2026
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One count directed at Baldwin, alleging assault, was dropped.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
18 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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The cell also passed nail penetration tests, simulating an internal short circuit, with complete structural integrity.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Today, there's writing on the wall outside, proclaiming the miracle of Ho Khanh.—
Nicole Young,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
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Misao took a microphone, proudly proclaiming her dedication to justice.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Professing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/professing. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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