as in meaning
the idea that is conveyed or intended to be conveyed to the mind by language, symbol, or action
was able to give the purport of the governor's speech in a few words
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to intend
to have in mind as a purpose or goal
do you purport to spend the rest of your life on that couch, or do you think you might get a job someday?
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to allege
to state as a fact usually forcefully
he purports to be an expert in criminalistics
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of purport
Ethan Beck The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 27 Mar. 2026
Remotasks purports to pay freelancers to train AI models.
—Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Obvious examples include homelessness, poverty, the water supply, housing shortages and — most importantly — the low levels of academic achievement in a public school system that purports to educate nearly 6 million children.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2026
Because Iran is inaccessible to many journalists, readers must be especially careful about reporting purporting to know or show what is going on inside Iran.
—Andrea Hickerson, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purport
Verb
Tips and purported ransom notes flooded in but no investigative breaks.
—Ethan Beck The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 27 Mar. 2026
Remotasks purports to pay freelancers to train AI models.
—Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Obvious examples include homelessness, poverty, the water supply, housing shortages and — most importantly — the low levels of academic achievement in a public school system that purports to educate nearly 6 million children.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2026
Because Iran is inaccessible to many journalists, readers must be especially careful about reporting purporting to know or show what is going on inside Iran.
—Andrea Hickerson, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purport
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purport
Noun
-
For others, the moment carries a deeper meaning.—
Charlie Lapastora,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time a Western pop culture figure has taken on symbolic meaning in Chinese internet culture.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Axios first reported on Sunday a bid for a potential 45-day ceasefire, intended to be the first part of a two-phase deal aimed at launching broader, direct negotiations to permanently end the war.—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The city chose a more muscular solution, raising the park and lifting the river’s edge to form a wall intended to hold back sixteen feet of surge.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
All three lawsuits allege retaliation by town officials against the plaintiffs.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Apr. 2026
-
OpenAI is now facing seven wrongful-death lawsuits, which allege that ChatGPT prompted several suicides and a murder.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Often, this is a useful guideline, and limits, in general, are very much the friend of the fiction writer, but there are certain stories that benefit from a sense of instability.—
Nina Mesfin,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The vibe is certainly formal, but in the stylish sense of the word—don’t be afraid to make conversation with the friendly concierge or front desk staff.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Indian industry body plans to revisit China later this year with a larger delegation during the Canton Autumn Fair, a major trade exhibition in Guangzhou.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2026
-
No need to plan to have a draft pick be on the practice squad.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Nowadays, the two positions blur together, but his father, Troy, and Harvard-Westlake coach David Rebibo insisted his aspirations were to be on the ball.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Shaban, an hour into his testimony, insisted again to Doucette that he was never charged with a crime.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Lykke Leonardsen, who runs Copenhagen’s Resilient and Sustainable City Solutions program and serves as the city’s informal water ambassador, told me that the intent was to hold hearings, win approval in August, and invest gradually.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The legislation also comes as Healey, Attorney General Andrea Campbell and several state lawmakers have expressed their intent to prosecute ICE agents carrying out operations in Massachusetts.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That means eliminating Iran's Navy, which is now absolutely destroyed, hurting their Air Force and their missile program at levels never seen before, and annihilating their defense industrial base.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
That means they are left out of state cost-cap bills.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purport.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purport. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
