as in owns
to keep, control, or experience as one's own
she possesses a keen insight into people
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Recent Examples of possesses
Rea certainly possesses plenty of experience plus right-hander Ben Brown or right-hander Javier Assad, currently at Triple-A Iowa, also could slot into the rotation, depending on Horton’s prognosis and how long he might be sidelined.
—
Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Culler said Tellez possesses the single most important trait for a competitor.
—Jaelen Gilkey, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
At the start of that series, Robert Baratheon (played by Mark Addy) possesses the Iron Throne after a war between him and Aerys II Targaryen (David Rintoul).
—Ryan Brennan
april 3, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2026
After three transits, astronomers determined TOI-5205 b possesses an atmosphere with compounds like methane and hydrogen sulphide.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 Apr. 2026
The world today is divided territorially into more than 190 countries, each of which possesses a national government that claims to exercise sovereignty and seeks to compel obedience to its will by its citizens.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
In Paris, the Museum of the Prefecture of Police possesses just a guillotine blade, while the closest thing on view at the Carnavalet Museum is a two-foot-tall model guillotine and a pair of dangly brass guillotine earrings.
—Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2026
Arriving in a jet-black shade, this wig possesses a luminosity that almost seems artificial.
—Noel Cymone Walker, StyleCaster, 1 Apr. 2026
Rhule possesses a keen understanding of the temperature around his program.
—Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Culler said Tellez possesses the single most important trait for a competitor.
—Jaelen Gilkey, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
At the start of that series, Robert Baratheon (played by Mark Addy) possesses the Iron Throne after a war between him and Aerys II Targaryen (David Rintoul).
—Ryan Brennan
april 3, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2026
After three transits, astronomers determined TOI-5205 b possesses an atmosphere with compounds like methane and hydrogen sulphide.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 Apr. 2026
The world today is divided territorially into more than 190 countries, each of which possesses a national government that claims to exercise sovereignty and seeks to compel obedience to its will by its citizens.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
In Paris, the Museum of the Prefecture of Police possesses just a guillotine blade, while the closest thing on view at the Carnavalet Museum is a two-foot-tall model guillotine and a pair of dangly brass guillotine earrings.
—Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2026
Arriving in a jet-black shade, this wig possesses a luminosity that almost seems artificial.
—Noel Cymone Walker, StyleCaster, 1 Apr. 2026
Rhule possesses a keen understanding of the temperature around his program.
—Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for possesses
Verb
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Michele Perez, who owns or part-owns two homes in Hialeah, Villa Rosa III and The Palms, said Hernandez has placed DCF clients in her facilities, which accept people with mental illness who other owners reject.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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With the acquisition cemented, Circle City Broadcasting now owns WISH-TV, a CW affiliate; WRTV, an ABC affiliate; and WINDY-TV, a MyNetworkTV affiliate.—
Heather Bushman,
IndyStar,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The park has a full-size soccer field, a sunken basketball court that doubles as a reservoir, a long wooden walkway raised above plantings and tall grasses, a community pavilion, a café, and a fifty-thousand-gallon cistern that captures rain for irrigation.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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Messi, for example, has a lifetime deal with Adidas that will comfortably run into hundreds of millions of dollars, while Ronaldo signed a lifetime deal with Nike in 2016.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As private property, management retains the authority to deny requests to hold organized events or protests on site.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Despite sometimes disruptive infrastructure upgrades across town to handle the denser-than-ever crowds, the rapidly growing adventure capital retains corners of stillness and beauty.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There’s not much Kamilla Karthigesu enjoys more than throwing people under the bus in the game of Survivor.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 Apr. 2026
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Robert Patrick prefers not to participate in Hollywood events and rather enjoys spending time with his wife, dogs and attending church.—
Janelle Ash , Larry Fink,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Possesses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/possesses. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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