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
Inter Miami defeated Orlando 4-2 at Inter&Co Stadium in March and possesses the firepower to replicate that result.
—
Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 May 2026
The Higgs field also possesses electroweak and hypercharge.
—Big Think, 27 Apr. 2026
Of Dallas’ Day 3 selections, I’m most intrigued by the versatility LT Overton provides as well as the long-term upside of tackle Drew Shelton, who needs to add strength but possesses the length and agility to ultimately be an NFL starter.
—Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Apr. 2026
In the court, as discovery was being discussed, Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman said the prosecution possesses roughly 40 terabytes of evidence, which the defense has requested access to.
—Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
Under Section 1245 of the National Defense Authorization Act, Turkey cannot rejoin the program unless the president certifies to Congress that Ankara no longer possesses or operates the S-400 and that the system poses no risk to the F-35.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Humanity possesses an extremely effective treatment, with essentially zero side effects – and patients need someone else’s permission to use it.
—Phil Starks, The Conversation, 21 Apr. 2026
With extraction costs often in the range of $8 to $10 per barrel, Iran possesses one of the lowest-cost production profiles in the world.
—Gaurav Srivastava, The Washington Examiner, 19 Apr. 2026
Wheatley has always had a decent handle on atmosphere, and Normal definitely possesses more of a sense of location than other pictures of its ilk.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 May 2026
The Higgs field also possesses electroweak and hypercharge.
—Big Think, 27 Apr. 2026
Of Dallas’ Day 3 selections, I’m most intrigued by the versatility LT Overton provides as well as the long-term upside of tackle Drew Shelton, who needs to add strength but possesses the length and agility to ultimately be an NFL starter.
—Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Apr. 2026
In the court, as discovery was being discussed, Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman said the prosecution possesses roughly 40 terabytes of evidence, which the defense has requested access to.
—Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
Under Section 1245 of the National Defense Authorization Act, Turkey cannot rejoin the program unless the president certifies to Congress that Ankara no longer possesses or operates the S-400 and that the system poses no risk to the F-35.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Humanity possesses an extremely effective treatment, with essentially zero side effects – and patients need someone else’s permission to use it.
—Phil Starks, The Conversation, 21 Apr. 2026
With extraction costs often in the range of $8 to $10 per barrel, Iran possesses one of the lowest-cost production profiles in the world.
—Gaurav Srivastava, The Washington Examiner, 19 Apr. 2026
Wheatley has always had a decent handle on atmosphere, and Normal definitely possesses more of a sense of location than other pictures of its ilk.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for possesses
Verb
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Charles was also greeted by Kimberley Harris, executive vice president of Comcast, the parent company of NBCUniversal, which owns NBC News.—
Emma Caughlan,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
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As the Ado Annie-like Betsy, a horny teen-ager whose father owns a shotgun, Kurtz is playing a character who should be, and kind of is, a one-joke punch line.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Earnings from India’s bellwether software services exporters have reinforced investor concerns about the sector’s growth prospects, signaling that the downturn in their stocks has further to run.—
Ashutosh Joshi,
Bloomberg,
27 Apr. 2026
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Lincoln-Way West’s Owen Chudzinski has a love for baseball that goes back a long way.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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While the United States retains extraordinary capabilities, the number of those weapons available and the ability to replace them are more limited.—
James LaPorta,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
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According to Israeli security officials, intelligence assessments suggest Iran still retains a ballistic missile arsenal in the thousands.—
Ian Pannell,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Senior Anglers group enjoys freshwater and saltwater fishing, camping, boating and environmental conservation.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 May 2026
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The bill enjoys bipartisan sponsorship and unanimous committee support because the math is straightforward and the need is obvious.—
Jennifer Mahr,
Hartford Courant,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Possesses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/possesses. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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