declare

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb declare differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of declare are announce, proclaim, and promulgate. While all these words mean "to make known publicly," declare implies explicitness and usually formality in making known.

the referee declared the contest a draw

Where would announce be a reasonable alternative to declare?

The meanings of announce and declare largely overlap; however, announce implies the declaration of something for the first time.

announced their engagement at a party

When might proclaim be a better fit than declare?

While the synonyms proclaim and declare are close in meaning, proclaim implies declaring clearly, forcefully, and authoritatively.

the president proclaimed a national day of mourning

In what contexts can promulgate take the place of declare?

The words promulgate and declare can be used in similar contexts, but promulgate implies the proclaiming of a dogma, doctrine, or law.

promulgated an edict of religious toleration

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 declare Erika Kirk, the widow of the late Charlie Kirk, also gave an emotional tribute to her husband on Friday and declared that his mission will not end at Turning Point USA's headquarters. Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 13 Sep. 2025 A week later, he was taken to surgery to have his organs removed for donation — even though his heart was beating and he hadn’t been declared brain-dead, Zohny said. Cara Anthony, Miami Herald, 13 Sep. 2025 In June, Adcock also made headlines for declaring that Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album didn’t meet his definition of country music. Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2025 In April 2024, Musk changed his ambitions, declaring that self-driving vehicles would be the company’s main focus. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for declare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declare
Verb
  • Any Mega Millions winners will be posted here once announced by lottery officials.
    Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Upwards of ten thousand fans made the trip each year, but despite the match-up’s popularity and history, the Georgia Tech administration unexpectedly announced its intention to end the series when the contract ran out in the late 1970s.
    Elizabeth Hutchison Hicklin, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Google, of course, insists the AI Overviews arrangement benefits everyone.
    Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Caracas insists the buildup is part of a broader campaign directed at undermining President Nicolás Maduro’s government.
    Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Children want to change, as Adam Phillips asserts, but adults want to stay the same.
    Rachel Kushner, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Limit your interaction with them when possible and assert your boundaries firmly.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • An initial jolt of spicy pink pepper dissipates to reveal a rose dripping in honeyed, ambery sweetness, while its leathery base adds strength, dimension, and something a little bit naughty to this fruity-floral triumph of a scent.
    Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Standard blood tests then revealed his liver function to be out of sorts.
    Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Tottenham is part of the borough which researchers at University College London recently proclaimed the most ethnically diverse in Britain-possibly all of Western Europe-with 113 ethnic groups speaking over 193 languages.
    Adia Harvey Wingfield, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Breaking the Myth In the wake of market shifts and headlines proclaiming the end of the short/long-term stay platform gold rush, FIBI offers a different perspective—one grounded in experience.
    Matt Emma, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In Budapest, after the uprising against the Communist regime, Andor — raised by his mother with idealized tales of his dead father — has his world turned upside down when a brutish man appears, claiming to be his true father.
    Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Roughly $140,000 is claimed to have been spent on this car’s restoration by the consignor prior to its 2019 sale.
    Robert Ross, Robb Report, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In the interview with the Justice Department official, Maxwell continued to profess her innocence.
    John Parkinson, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2025
  • The two consistently profess their neutrality on the war – while at the same time fueling it by providing financial lifelines to Russia.
    Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Eco Wave Power logo is displayed on a floater raised out of the water during a demonstration of Eco Wave Power electricity generation technology using the power of ocean waves in the harbor at AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, California, on August 26, 2025.
    Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
  • According to a 2022 study in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, older adults with a suicide attempt displayed higher levels of suicide intent than younger adults with a suicide attempt.
    Eric Wood, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Declare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declare. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.

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