believe

Definition of believenext
1
as in to accept
to regard as right or true only the most naive car buyer would have believed the salesman's claim that the dealership was actually losing money on the deal

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

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 believe If some writers believe those players belong in Cooperstown, all power to them. Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 31 Jan. 2026 The forensic complexity of Bustamante’s often solitary detective work contributed to a 21-month delay in what many believed would be a prosecution. Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 31 Jan. 2026 Around the fifth century, Celtic communities believed animals held special powers on days that fell between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Dallas Morning News, 31 Jan. 2026 No other individuals are believed to be involved in the incident. Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for believe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for believe
Verb
  • Orphans and widows do not often accept the wider geopolitical need for their immediate grief.
    Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 31 Jan. 2026
  • Goldis, wanting to accept the invitation, requested prior approval in accordance with the policy, but the NYAG’s office denied her petition.
    Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 31 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Well, the one time anybody in the States thinks about Canada or used to be.
    Ben Smith, semafor.com, 31 Jan. 2026
  • Collections and designers put their best foot forward, delivering high-caliber collections — some were uplifting, others were thought-provoking, most were both.
    Laure Guilbault, Vogue, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • London — Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Britain’s Prince Andrew, has moved out of his longtime Windsor home and is now a resident of Norfolk, England, CNN understands.
    Max Foster, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
  • That’s what’s gotta be understood.
    Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Josh — A lot of individual investors think your job in the stock market is to guess what’s going to happen and place your bets accordingly, especially in front of meaningful binary events like earnings reports.
    Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Ho Jin is visibly un-enthused, and Uncle guesses Mu Hee has given him an unfavourable impression of them.
    Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Saman said some of the wounded who were hospitalized, including one of his friends who was shot in his calf, were then taken into custody by the regime's forces.
    Somayeh Malekian, ABC News, 27 Jan. 2026
  • These recommendations are based, in part, on studies that have found higher relapse rates among those who stop taking the medication versus those who do not.
    The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Bagehot and other upholders of depoliticizing enchantments could not have imagined a scenario in which Andrew, once second in line for the throne, and Larry Summers, a former Ivy League president hailed as one of America’s leading public intellectuals, are caught up in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
    Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Some of that was real, some of it was exaggerated, some of it was just imagined — and all of it became a potent, highly motivating political narrative.
    Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Initially, neither party trusts the other, and the surprising but emotionally logical betrayal that prompts the film’s high-stakes climax carries a lovingly sincere intention.
    Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 31 Jan. 2026
  • By trusting your intuition and staying focused on long-term goals, the Rat can navigate uncertainty with confidence, even as the Horse year brings rapid shifts.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The Boston University Track and Tennis Center is widely considered one of the fastest indoor tracks in the world, known for producing several national and world records.
    Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 1 Feb. 2026
  • The exchange is notable, considering it had not been previously disclosed.
    David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 31 Jan. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Believe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/believe. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on believe

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!