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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of profess
More inescapable than in seasons past, its heavy presence was notable given how many people and brands have professed an aversion to the material.
—
Simbarashe Cha, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025
With much of Mk1’s subsystems common to Mk2, Limp professed confidence in Blue Origin’s ability to have that spacecraft ready for the fifth Artemis launch, currently set for 2030.
—Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 12 Feb. 2025
For more tips: Visa released some red flags and green flags for romance scams, including if something sounds too good to be true or someone is professing love too soon.
—Betty Lin-Fisher, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2025
Bernie has professed his love for Elton, and Elton’s had to sing it.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for profess
Simbarashe Cha, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025
With much of Mk1’s subsystems common to Mk2, Limp professed confidence in Blue Origin’s ability to have that spacecraft ready for the fifth Artemis launch, currently set for 2030.
—Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 12 Feb. 2025
For more tips: Visa released some red flags and green flags for romance scams, including if something sounds too good to be true or someone is professing love too soon.
—Betty Lin-Fisher, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2025
Bernie has professed his love for Elton, and Elton’s had to sing it.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for profess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profess
Verb
-
Too many leaders pretend to listen, nodding along in meetings but failing to take action.—
Mark Murphy,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Pride, drama, politics There’s no point in pretending AFCON is perfect.—
Phil Hay,
The Athletic,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
In January, Hamden passed an ordinance declaring housing as a human right.—
Ginny Monk,
Hartford Courant,
1 Mar. 2025
-
The specific details of the agreement and plans for its execution remain scarce, and the deal faces several pitfalls before it can be declared a victory for the U.S. president.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Undeterred, Budden continued, insisting that animals find the interactions as pleasurable.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
4 Mar. 2025
-
Some argue that excessive washing strips natural oils, while others insist regular cleansing is necessary for scalp health.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The regulatory process in California could take up to a year, assuming that Tesla’s technology proves to be safe, Smith said.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2025
-
So until another shoe drops — assuming there will be another shoe — this deal feels somewhat incomplete for the Penguins.—
Shayna Goldman,
The Athletic,
6 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Some assert that this limits what those bang-for-the-buck labs are willing to play around with, whereas academic labs are presumably freer to make wilder speculative efforts.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
-
In a letter to fellow Democrats, Jeffries asserted that the House belongs to the American people and called for representatives to stand firm.—
Hannah Parry,
Newsweek,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Republicans allege that Zelensky's Pennsylvania visit was improper campaign support for then-Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Kamala Harris, despite Zelensky's insistence that the visit was diplomatic in nature.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
4 Mar. 2025
-
For too long, as alleged in the Complaint, the Board has abused its power, violating Florida law and its own governing documents while gaslighting members who invest millions in memberships and annual dues.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
These chemicals are all housed in their own little capsules inside the e-Taste device, and released in different combinations and concentrations to simulate different foods.—
Michael Irving,
New Atlas,
3 Mar. 2025
-
The right-hander will throw one inning and simulate more in the bullpen.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
No one was trying to proclaim innocence for Dahmer or Ted Bundy in their recent revisitations, even if both series did come under fire for being too centered around the killer.—
Aja Romano,
Vox,
4 Mar. 2025
-
In honor of Howard Meyer’s 20 years as president and CEO of the Skokie Chamber of Commerce, the village of Skokie proclaimed February 18 as Howard Meyer Recognition Day.—
Richard Requena,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Profess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profess. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share