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
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
Brady concluded his own explanation by professing his love of the game.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025
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
Brady concluded his own explanation by professing his love of the game.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for professing
Verb
-
Marcus Figueroa was stabbed 25 times but survived after pretending to be dead until Ricks left the apartment.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
12 Mar. 2026
-
City Hall needs to stop pretending the job is getting done and just do it.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Francis ordered the Argentine criteria published as an official act of the Vatican and wrote a letter to the bishops declaring their interpretation authoritative.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Sports bars are hanging flags and declaring their allegiances to Portugal, England, Spain, or Brazil.—
Ben Furnas,
New York Daily News,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Executives have pushed back on speculation about massive job losses, insisting a significant chunk of the savings will come from elsewhere.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
19 Mar. 2026
-
While Burton left the store before Derrick DeBruce gunned down customer Doug Battle, he was tried and convicted as an accomplice, with prosecutors insisting Burton acted as the group’s leader in the armed robbery.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The bottom line Savers can earn between $50 and $150 with a $5,000 deposit made into a money market or high-yield savings account in 2026, starting this month, assuming interest rates here remain steady.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Ashley said among misperceptions people have is assuming adult children living with them can no longer be claimed as dependents.—
Francine Knowles,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Emerging Asian markets are increasingly asserting themselves as creative powerhouses.—
Faye Bradley,
Variety,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Consider updating a bio, trying a fresh style, or asserting kind boundaries.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The popular protein bar brand David is currently fighting a lawsuit alleging the company’s bars contain nearly twice as many calories as the labels claim, based on independent testing.—
Kaitlin Sullivan,
NBC news,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Last September, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement raided a Korean battery plant in Georgia, dragging off 300 Korean technicians and engineers in handcuffs and chains, alleging visa violations.—
Lesley Stahl,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
As the team explains, their solution isn’t about brute-force simulating everything, but rather focusing on what actually matters.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Mar. 2026
-
The drill involves recruits elevating their heart rates through calisthenics and then simulating hand-to-hand combat with a physically aggressive suspect while wearing a padded suit for protection.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Misao took a microphone, proudly proclaiming her dedication to justice.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
19 Mar. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Professing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/professing. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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