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
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
Brady concluded his own explanation by professing his love of the game.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025
This is the month to really practice living beyond the binary instead of just professing it.
—Colin Bedell, Them., 17 Sep. 2025
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
Brady concluded his own explanation by professing his love of the game.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025
This is the month to really practice living beyond the binary instead of just professing it.
—Colin Bedell, Them., 17 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for professing
Verb
-
The Buffs, who open spring ball Monday, are full-speed ahead at pretending 2025 didn’t happen — so much so, in fact, that nearly half the roster, both coordinators and a chunk of the coaching staff are brand new.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
28 Feb. 2026
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At one point, a woman pretending to be the White House press secretary held a mock press conference while sporting Fake News buttons and what appeared to be a fake baby bump.—
Toluse Olorunnipa,
The Atlantic,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In last night’s speech, the President was only interested in declaring victory.—
Austin Elias-de Jesus,
New Yorker,
25 Feb. 2026
-
At the time, Lunday, then the Coast Guard’s acting commandant, responded by declaring those symbols prohibited, though the language somehow still found its way into a new workplace harassment manual.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But there’s also a debate swirling around the best time of day to shower, with people on both sides insisting that their timing is ideal.—
Korin Miller,
SELF,
26 Feb. 2026
-
While insisting its program is peaceful, Iranian officials have threatened to pursue the bomb in recent years.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That changed a bit on a sunny Saturday in San Francisco, the contest assuming a smidgen of campaign heat — chanting crowds, sign-waving supporters, call-and-response from the audience — as the state party held its annual convention in this bluest of cities.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
The mayor is expecting to distribute the payments before the end of March, assuming the ordinance passes both its first and final readings, with a final vote anticipated on March 10.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Sarandos has been on a promotional tour over the past week or two, including at last Sunday’s BAFTA Film Awards red carpet, asserting his view that his company is better-positioned than Paramount.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
25 Feb. 2026
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Actors who look more of the moment are Ayo Edebiri, Teyana Taylor and Jennifer Lawrence – who see dressing for a film premiere or awards show less about creating an outrageous look, and more about asserting their artistry and originality.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Emails alleging violations started arriving to City Section commissioner Vicky Lagos before the semifinals.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2026
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Hartsuch appealed, but in October 2025, the Iowa Court of Appeals upheld the district court’s ruling, setting the stage for Hartsuch’s newest lawsuit alleging the board’s actions were unreasonable, violated his rights and destroyed his livelihood.—
Clark Kauffman,
Iowa Capital Dispatch,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In large cage experiments simulating natural populations, the gene drive spread to nearly 100% of mosquitoes and caused complete population collapse within 7 to 11 generations.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Feb. 2026
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This key test involves loading the rocket with fuel, preparing the capsule that will house the Artemis II crew for the duration of the mission for launch, and simulating a launch countdown.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Jalisco cartel has built a reputation for spectacular acts of violence, including downing a military helicopter and attempting to assassinate Mexico City’s police chief, so social media posts proclaiming extraordinary cartel brutality are difficult to doubt.—
María Verza,
Twin Cities,
26 Feb. 2026
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The Jalisco cartel has built a reputation for spectacular acts of violence, including downing a military helicopter and attempting to assassinate Mexico City’s police chief, so social media posts proclaiming extraordinary cartel brutality are difficult to doubt.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Professing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/professing. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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