1
as in intending
to have in mind as a purpose or goal
do you purport to spend the rest of your life on that couch, or do you think you might get a job someday?
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in alleging
to state as a fact usually forcefully
he purports to be an expert in criminalistics
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of purporting
The military also shared video purporting to show the insides of the tunnels.
—
Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
But that has not stopped content creators from flooding platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and X with videos purporting to have more insightful takes on the situation than what’s being reported by the mainstream media.
—Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 28 Apr. 2026
The indictment comes just after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention controversially canceled the release of a report purporting to show that Covid-19 vaccines reduced the odds of hospitalization, per the Times.
—Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 28 Apr. 2026
While purporting to lower insurance premiums, there is no credible evidence or even an estimate of how or when these proposals will impact drivers’ rates.
—Allysson Bornt, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2026
Mark Nacht, 65, of Waltham, allegedly communicated with two undercover agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, one pretending to be the girl, and the other purporting to be a relative of the 13-year-old.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
One of the most notable and perhaps consequential instances was when John Podesta, chair of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, fell victim to an email purporting to be a Google security alert, giving hackers access to his personal Gmail account.
—Robert Faturechi, ProPublica, 11 Apr. 2026
An account on the social media platform X, purporting to be Jonathan's veterinarian Joe Hollins, posted an announcement that the animal had died at age 193.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Because Iran is inaccessible to many journalists, readers must be especially careful about reporting purporting to know or show what is going on inside Iran.
—Andrea Hickerson, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2026
Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
But that has not stopped content creators from flooding platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and X with videos purporting to have more insightful takes on the situation than what’s being reported by the mainstream media.
—Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 28 Apr. 2026
The indictment comes just after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention controversially canceled the release of a report purporting to show that Covid-19 vaccines reduced the odds of hospitalization, per the Times.
—Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 28 Apr. 2026
While purporting to lower insurance premiums, there is no credible evidence or even an estimate of how or when these proposals will impact drivers’ rates.
—Allysson Bornt, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2026
Mark Nacht, 65, of Waltham, allegedly communicated with two undercover agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, one pretending to be the girl, and the other purporting to be a relative of the 13-year-old.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
One of the most notable and perhaps consequential instances was when John Podesta, chair of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, fell victim to an email purporting to be a Google security alert, giving hackers access to his personal Gmail account.
—Robert Faturechi, ProPublica, 11 Apr. 2026
An account on the social media platform X, purporting to be Jonathan's veterinarian Joe Hollins, posted an announcement that the animal had died at age 193.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Because Iran is inaccessible to many journalists, readers must be especially careful about reporting purporting to know or show what is going on inside Iran.
—Andrea Hickerson, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purporting
Verb
-
Police believe Lewis killed King intending to steal his Hyundai Sonata.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The Essay The op-ed itself is a short essay intending to inform the public about an issue and to indicate some means for its resolution.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the letter, Carvajal says as much, alleging that Maduro had aimed to use drugs as a weapon against the United States.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Moscow denied targeting the plant, alleging Kyiv staged the attack.—
Samya Kullab,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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An hour before Hitchcock's execution, Texas is planning to put James Broadnax to death for the 2008 double murder of two Christian music producers in the Dallas suburb of Garland.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Countries across the Gulf have arrested scores of people during the war, on charges ranging from posting images of wartime damage, to planning terrorist attacks with Iran.—
Dominic Dudley,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In Joseph Heller’s novel, claiming to be crazy is taken as evidence of sanity.—
Fintan O’Toole,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Scammers call older people, falsely claiming the victim’s bank account, Social Security number or other personal information has been compromised, Sorrells said.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The president rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for easing restrictions, insisting that larger concerns must be addressed first.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Hegseth largely declined to provide specifics, instead denouncing critics as defeatists, questioning their patriotism and insisting the mission had broad public support.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Magic, meanwhile, played like a team trying to close out a series – close, competitive, but just a step behind in the details that matter most in the postseason.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The Dodgers, relative to other organizations, are aggressive in trying to improve the team, spending money on key free agents even after winning back-to-back World Series championships.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In December 2023, Maduro held a controversial referendum that claimed 98 percent public support for asserting sovereignty over the region — a vote widely criticized for alleged fraud and lack of transparency.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The Lees’ acquisitions mark an impressive feat, both in terms of reclaiming national heritage and asserting personal piety.—
Lori Waxman,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Klopp’s team, like Dalglish’s before him and Slot’s after, found the going much tougher the year after the German inspired what seven previous Liverpool managers could not, including Dalglish, who returned for 18 months in early 2011.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The Fed’s going to have a lot of challenges in this economy going forward.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purporting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purporting. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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