1
as in to vow
to make a solemn declaration of intent
they promised to keep in touch with us after they moved away
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to predict
to show signs of a favorable or successful outcome
given the cast, the new sitcom promises to be an excellent show
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in vow
a person's solemn declaration that he or she will do or not do something
he made a promise to arrive on time, come hell or high water
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Example Sentences
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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of promise
Noe Padilla, USA Today, 9 May 2026
New governing party turns toward the EU Magyar has promised to repair his country's ties with the EU, which Orbán had pushed to a breaking point, and to restore Hungary's place among Western democracies, whose standing had been called into question as Orbán drifted ever closer to Russia.
—CBS News, 9 May 2026
Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 15 May 2026
California faced tens of billions of dollars in budget deficits several years in a row, forcing painful cuts last year such as a rollback on a promise to provide free healthcare to low-income immigrants without legal status.
—Trân Nguyễn, Fortune, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for promise
Verb
Klein acknowledged that direct financial assistance sounds promising, but questioned whether the state could implement such a system without it becoming bogged down by bureaucracy and red tape.
—Noe Padilla, USA Today, 9 May 2026
New governing party turns toward the EU Magyar has promised to repair his country's ties with the EU, which Orbán had pushed to a breaking point, and to restore Hungary's place among Western democracies, whose standing had been called into question as Orbán drifted ever closer to Russia.
—CBS News, 9 May 2026
Noun
In some ways, Rashad has fulfilled that promise.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 15 May 2026
California faced tens of billions of dollars in budget deficits several years in a row, forcing painful cuts last year such as a rollback on a promise to provide free healthcare to low-income immigrants without legal status.
—Trân Nguyễn, Fortune, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for promise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for promise
Verb
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The two Republicans, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and conservative commentator Steve Hilton, spoke of a halcyon California destroyed by feckless Democrats and vowed a return to those days.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
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However, Havana has rejected past overtures — including Washington’s recent offer of $100 million in aid — while the regime has vowed to hold on to power despite rising domestic and foreign pressures.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The pin positions were far more accessible than the previous two days, as McIlroy had predicted.—
Doug Ferguson,
Chicago Tribune,
17 May 2026
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That’s for our golf coverage team at Aronimink — Brendan Quinn, Gabby Herzig and Brody Miller — to predict.—
Brendan Quinn,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Noun
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The pledge outlined steps the festival would take to move toward greater inclusion of women in its lineup, including generating gendered statistics for its annual program, while working toward achieving gender equity in its governing bodies and programming committees.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
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Pressure for Starmer to step aside has intensified since Labour suffered disastrous losses in local and regional elections last week, underscoring voter frustration with a government that has failed to deliver on pledges to boost economic growth and improve living standards for working people.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Prince swears this isn’t the start of a BBQ empire, though.—
Matthew Geiger,
Denver Post,
7 May 2026
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Because of their inattention or intentional decision to swear or affirm loyalty to California’s Constitution, other California US Congressional candidates are legally and morally bound to both the US and California constitutions, effectively preventing effective legislation at the federal level.—
Linh Tat,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Legislation in Washington proposes offsetting any lost Highway Trust Fund revenue with general funds, but critics warn that could raise the federal deficit — and potentially jeopardize the long-term sustainability of infrastructure projects.—
Wyatte Grantham-Philips,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
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But legislative budget experts warned last year of a potential AI bubble that could worsen the state's finances.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Verb
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At the last rate-setting meeting in April, three members of the committee hinted their next move could as easily be a rate increase as a cut.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
13 May 2026
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Despite getting demoted from protagonist to fatality victim, Tan hints that he might not be done with Mortal Kombat — even if Cole and his now-two-dimensional noggin are.—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Brier sees progress in this area but says the time horizon for practical humanoids is longer than what most anticipate.—
Dr. Jonathan Reichental,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
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The two-time Cy Young Award winner is set to rejoin the rotation sooner than anticipated after teammate Tyler Glasnow left a start early this week because of back trouble.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Promise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/promise. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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