Synonym Chooser

How is the word avow distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of avow are affirm, assert, declare, and protest. While all these words mean "to state positively usually in anticipation of denial or objection," avow stresses frank declaration and acknowledgment of personal responsibility for what is declared.

avowed that all investors would be repaid in full

When might affirm be a better fit than avow?

The synonyms affirm and avow are sometimes interchangeable, but affirm implies conviction based on evidence, experience, or faith.

affirmed the existence of an afterlife

Where would assert be a reasonable alternative to avow?

Although the words assert and avow have much in common, assert implies stating confidently without need for proof or regard for evidence.

asserted that modern music is just noise

When would declare be a good substitute for avow?

In some situations, the words declare and avow are roughly equivalent. However, declare stresses open or public statement.

declared her support for the candidate

When could protest be used to replace avow?

The words protest and avow can be used in similar contexts, but protest emphasizes affirming in the face of denial or doubt.

protested that he really had been misquoted

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 avow Who gets the money? Oct. 23, 2024 There is no such controversy surrounding the Freeman ball, which soared directly at Zachary Ruderman, whose avowed favorite player is Freeman and who keeps score at the frequent games his family attends. Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2024 There are avowed eyebrow experts on Telegram who are claiming that this is absolutely 100% not the same person. Tim Marchman, WIRED, 13 Dec. 2024 The lawsuit was first filed against the Eau Claire Area School District in 2022 by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty and America First Legal — the organization started by Trump’s new deputy chief of staff for policy and avowed white nationalist Stephen Miller. Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 10 Dec. 2024 Iran and Israel, for example, are avowed adversaries. Maria Snegovaya, Foreign Affairs, 25 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for avow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avow
Verb
  • Public officials who insisted such efforts were impossible, in an instant, demonstrated that a cleaner, safer city was always within reach.
    Carson Becker, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025
  • The government insisted there was no evidence that the AP had been harmed irreparably.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency to ensure firefighters have the resources needed to combat the Table Rock Fire.
    John Bacon, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Emergency declared South Carolina In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency Saturday as part of an effort to stop a blaze in Pickens County called the Table Rock Fire that started the previous day in an area within the Blue Ridge Mountains.
    CBS News, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • However, during their meeting, Saldívar delayed handing over the papers, alleging she had been raped the night before, per USA Today.
    Kelsie Gibson, People.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • The Trump administration alleges that Maduro and Cabello are not only complicit in its rise but actively control it through the Soles drug cartel, using the gang as a deadly enforcement squad.
    Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • With an arrangement that feels somewhere between a cruise on the Seine, golden-age Hollywood, and a circus, Gaga professes her purest confession of love.
    Kristen S. Hé, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025
  • In interviews, the director professes his empathy for Mickey but especially for the studio marketing team for memorializing the movie’s accident-prone cast of characters.
    Peter Bart, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • My advice is to make every effort to escape your echo chamber, resist reading Reddit, and by all means ignore the clickbait on social media from companies claiming to have the secret formula to being admitted to highly selective colleges.
    Brennan Barnard, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
  • The 20-year-old skater, who was born in Fairfax, Va., landed a quadruple Axel and five other quadruple jumps to claim the men's title by a commanding margin.
    Lawrence Yee, People.com, 30 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Her attorneys on Friday asked a federal court in Massachusetts to assert jurisdiction over her case, release her on bail as the litigation moves forward and restore her F-1 student visa.
    Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 29 Mar. 2025
  • Related Stories Still, Republicans and some corporations lined up to sue the SEC over the rule as soon as the agency released it, alleging that the agency had gone too far and asserting that the rule is unconstitutional.
    Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Shortly before the end of Biden’s term in January, the Department of Education issued a fact sheet contending that Title IX applies to colleges’ direct payments to athletes reflecting revenue share/NIL.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Just four weeks ago, Granby filed suit against the council for authorizing Key Capture Energy’s plan for a 5-megawatt battery energy storage facility not far from the Salmon Brook; the town contends the council didn’t give enough weight to evidence of environmental and safety hazards.
    Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Intrigue in Read's case has only grown since the mistrial, as she's continued to share her story and proclaim her innocence.
    Rachel Treisman, NPR, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Elk are being depleted by wolves, proclaim the Sportsmen’s Alliance, Safari Club International and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, all of which sued to block ESA protections.
    Ted Williams, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Avow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avow. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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