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
Look, Emmel never professed to be perfect, which is also his point.
—
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026
The act of professing an oath on a sacred text not only signals fidelity to the Gospel message but also underscores the primacy of scripture to the archbishop’s ministry, a fitting gesture for the nominal leader of one of the largest branches of Christianity.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Mar. 2026
The brothers discussed that game on their Einfach Mal Luppen podcast the week, with Toni professing a fondness for Dan Burn’s agricultural style.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2026
The countries involved, at the time of the USMCA’s negotiation, professed a desire to reduce reliance on China.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for profess
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026
The act of professing an oath on a sacred text not only signals fidelity to the Gospel message but also underscores the primacy of scripture to the archbishop’s ministry, a fitting gesture for the nominal leader of one of the largest branches of Christianity.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Mar. 2026
The brothers discussed that game on their Einfach Mal Luppen podcast the week, with Toni professing a fondness for Dan Burn’s agricultural style.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2026
The countries involved, at the time of the USMCA’s negotiation, professed a desire to reduce reliance on China.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for profess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profess
Verb
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Because good ex-etiquette isn’t about pretending the past didn’t happen.—
Jann Blackstone,
Boston Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
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At this point, the NFL is not even pretending the draft is about the handful of prospects sitting in the green room.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Police in Northern Ireland on Sunday declared a security alert in the town of Dunmurry, on the outskirts of Belfast, after reports that a car bomb exploded near a police station.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
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Nearly five decades later, King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive in Washington on Monday for a state visit marking 250 years since the United States declared independence from Britain.—
Fatima Al-Kassab,
NPR,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This has inevitably led to some conflicts; Hollywood actors tend to insist on their own way of doing things on set, Yang said.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
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The Cuban government initially insisted that no deadline was offered and the talks were nothing but respectful.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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California’s plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 assumes a steep drop in driving.—
Aaron Cantú,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
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Many programs rely on standardized intervention lists, assuming similar outcomes across suppliers when every facility operates under its own set of constraints, meaning what succeeds in one place could prove a bust in another.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The filing Monday asserts that a shot was heard after Allen, who was outfitted with a shotgun, handgun and several knives, ran through a metal detector.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
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Earlier this month, the federal government filed a lawsuit against Illinois, asserting that the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission, not the state gaming board, has regulatory authority over those platforms.—
Olivia Olander,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Incoming Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar alleged that his predecessor’s associates are fleeing the country with billions of dollars in assets.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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Later, however, an indictment alleged that shell casings found at that scene matched the 9mm gun in his possession when he was arrested.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Chernobyl disaster occurred when technicians at the power station, near Pripyat in the north of Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union, ran a test on reactor number four to simulate shutting it down during an electricity blackout.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
26 Apr. 2026
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To simulate Antarctica’s brutally cold temperatures, Khare trained inside a storage freezer set to 5 degrees Fahrenheit in downtown Los Angeles, running on a treadmill while dialing in every detail.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That’s what Mauigoa proclaimed, immediately after the Giants drafted him, about looking after quarterback Jaxson Dart.—
Sam Warren,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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Which is to say that its power as a mode of redress in the first sense—as agent for proclaiming and correcting injustices—is being appealed to constantly.—
Nick Laird,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Profess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profess. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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