1
as in to pretend
to present a false appearance of
professed friendship while secretly plotting revenge
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to declare
to state clearly and strongly
the lonely woman professed her love in a series of letters to the soldier
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to insist
to state as a fact usually forcefully
he professed his innocence to anyone who would listen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of profess
Montgomery, who previously professed his innocence in court, did not attend his trial and was not present when jurors returned their verdict in 2024, USA TODAY previously reported.
—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
And, on more than one occasion, Seth and Scott have professed their love for Patton.
—
Jason Pettigrew,
SPIN,
11 June 2026
McAfee has professed the benefits of unpasteurized milk in public libraries and chiropractor offices.
—
Annie Waldman,
ProPublica,
9 June 2026
How might Infantino continue to profess neutrality while still clearly taking a side, pretending to listen to every voice while remaining obedient to only one?
—
Chris Jones,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for profess
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
And, on more than one occasion, Seth and Scott have professed their love for Patton.
—
Jason Pettigrew,
SPIN,
11 June 2026
McAfee has professed the benefits of unpasteurized milk in public libraries and chiropractor offices.
—
Annie Waldman,
ProPublica,
9 June 2026
How might Infantino continue to profess neutrality while still clearly taking a side, pretending to listen to every voice while remaining obedient to only one?
—
Chris Jones,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for profess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profess
Verb
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Barcenas' tea-sipping celebration was a tribute to Alex Morgan, one of the Wave's owners, who pretended to take a sip of tea after scoring in a match against England during the 2019 Women's World Cup.
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Well, Ariana seems to remember, whereas Hudson is determined to just undo the breakup and pretend like none of it ever happened.
Verb
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Staghorn coral are in peril and were declared functionally extinct in Florida in 2025 by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coral Reef Watch.
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But it was finally declared victorious after yearslong court battles.
Verb
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Rodríguez rejected those accusations, insisting authorities mobilized immediately.
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Even with some international teams packing up to go home, Rodríguez late Thursday insisted that the government was not winding down rescue efforts.
Verb
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Sweden loses key piece The first half was a sloppy slugfest as both teams tried to use their physicality to assume control.
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John Murphy, president and chief financial officer, will assume the responsibilities in the interim, according to an announcement.
Verb
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Kavanaugh could have limited his separate opinion to asserting that Trump’s order couldn’t override a federal law, which was all that was needed to decide the case.
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Lawyers in the gas station lawsuit assert that technology is enabling antitrust violations.
Verb
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Youssef alleged the property later became associated with gang activity, narcotics activity, prostitution and violence.
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The nonprofit, which alleged the county violated the Surplus Lands Act by not first exploring affordable-housing development at the site, still has not dismissed its lawsuit.
Verb
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But there’s no way to simulate all the variables of real life, particularly the weather.
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Instead of developing multiple aircraft designs or conducting thousands of expensive flight tests, engineers can simulate those scenarios digitally and rapidly iterate on designs.
Verb
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Pinned to their random assortment of hats were scrawled, handmade signs proclaiming liberty or death.
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On September 25, 1975, Roy Bates proclaimed Sealand’s constitution.
Cite this Entry
“Profess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profess. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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