1
as in hands
the fact or state of having (something) at one's disposal
a student who was found to have several overdue library books in his possession
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in belongings
possessions plural
transportable items that one owns
we packed up all of our possessions and excitedly moved into a new house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in occupancy
the act or fact of residing in a place
squatters had established possession in the abandoned warehouse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of possession
For starters, Chelsea’s average share of possession has risen from 56.7 per cent in the 16 Premier League matches culminating in the Brentford win to 60.8 per cent in the eight league games since.
—
Liam Twomey, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
James turned it over in the backcourt on one possession, fumbling the ball on a pass that went to no one.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2025
On the Lakers’ first possession, fellow star playmaker LeBron James drove into the paint while Utah’s defense was focused on Doncic coming off a pindown screen set by Austin Reaves, helping open an opportunity for James to throw an alley-oop to Jaxson Hayes for the game’s first points.
—Khobi Price, Orange County Register, 13 Feb. 2025
Bowens was charged with misuse of a marker plate, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, possession of narcotics with intent to sell, operating a motor vehicle without a license and possession of 1/2 ounce or more of cocaine in free base form.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 12 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for possession 
Liam Twomey, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
James turned it over in the backcourt on one possession, fumbling the ball on a pass that went to no one.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2025
On the Lakers’ first possession, fellow star playmaker LeBron James drove into the paint while Utah’s defense was focused on Doncic coming off a pindown screen set by Austin Reaves, helping open an opportunity for James to throw an alley-oop to Jaxson Hayes for the game’s first points.
—Khobi Price, Orange County Register, 13 Feb. 2025
Bowens was charged with misuse of a marker plate, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, possession of narcotics with intent to sell, operating a motor vehicle without a license and possession of 1/2 ounce or more of cocaine in free base form.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 12 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for possession
Recent Examples of Synonyms for possession
Noun
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The Philadelphia metro hit a record post-pandemic office occupancy rate in January, per the latest swipe data from Kastle Systems.—
Mike D'Onofrio,
Axios,
11 Feb. 2025
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By occupancy rate, Orlando, the Florida Keys and Austin, Texas are among the most popular destinations for solo travelers this Valentine’s weekend, according to vacation rental revenue management platform Beyond.—
Eve Chen,
USA TODAY,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The Puppy Bowl is not just for the puppies' enjoyment and viewers' entertainment but also promotes pet adoption by featuring rescue dogs.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
8 Feb. 2025
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His accounts of natural disasters are leavened not only by the imaginary disasters in his purview but also by his obvious enjoyment of them.—
Arthur Krystal,
The New Yorker,
27 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The challenge has always been to figure out how to personalize things without spending inordinate amounts of time and money mapping out every possible path a student might take.—
Ray Ravaglia,
Forbes,
28 Dec. 2024
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As a business owner, higher profit margins, all other things being equal, are more valuable.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes,
28 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The Ukrainian president also said that less than 20 percent of Kyiv's mineral resources, including approximately half of its rare earth deposits, were currently in areas under Russian occupation.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
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For an oblate, prayer was an occupation, both a way to fill the day and a mystical way of healing the world.—
Lawrence Wright,
The New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
But the ballplayer stuff, that was just icing on the cake.—
Daniel Brown,
The Athletic,
16 Feb. 2025
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Then, two days later, the stuff about him having a restraining order came out.—
Gillian Telling,
People.com,
15 Feb. 2025
Noun
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However, the introduction of advanced pod technology increases the potential for sustained human habitation undersea.—
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom,
Quartz,
27 Jan. 2025
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Native to the forests of Central and South America this iconic snake can grow up 8 feet long (2+ meters), is remarkably well camouflaged, and can be very abundant near human habitation.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near possession
Cite this Entry
“Possession.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/possession. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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