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
After the massive trauma crisis is resolved, Owen professes his desire to be with Teddy and move to Paris, where Teddy was considering a once-in-a-lifetime research position.
—
Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 7 May 2026
The titular character survived in the end and professed his love to Mary (Rochelle Aytes).
—Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026
Even former faces of prestige TV like Jon Hamm and Lena Dunham publicly profess their devotion to Southern Charm and Vanderpump Rules.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 4 May 2026
Vance professes to be ‘obsessed’ with UFO files Trump appears skeptical about the existence of extraterrestrial life.
—Collin Binkley, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for profess
Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 7 May 2026
The titular character survived in the end and professed his love to Mary (Rochelle Aytes).
—Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026
Even former faces of prestige TV like Jon Hamm and Lena Dunham publicly profess their devotion to Southern Charm and Vanderpump Rules.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 4 May 2026
Vance professes to be ‘obsessed’ with UFO files Trump appears skeptical about the existence of extraterrestrial life.
—Collin Binkley, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for profess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profess
Verb
-
Stay open without pretending every detail is solved.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
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With the war’s turbulence on the economy more prevalent and the internet now throttled, Russians no longer have the luxury of pretending the war in Ukraine isn’t happening.—
Daniel DePetris,
Mercury News,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
How we are perceived is often not up to us, the painting declares.—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN Money,
24 May 2026
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An hour later, the men’s vessel arrived at the Hull Head boat ramp, where the victim — who had sustained a critical head injury — was declared dead.—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
Verb
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Team Johnson has insisted that Chicago should be — and in their minds still is — the first option.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
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Even Manny has to hand it to him, but Hartman proves he's matured and insists that saving the day was a team effort.—
Britt Hayes,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 May 2026
Verb
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Stankoven, a few months away from assuming a larger place of prominence in Carolina’s lineup as second-line center, took notes.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
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But public‑private agreements are routinely renegotiated when financial conditions change, and asking the Padres to assume more expenses is an appropriate, good‑faith request.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Determined to assert their own vision of justice, Pontiac and others painted themselves for war, picked up their stockpiled arms, and attacked British forts, just two weeks after this hanging.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
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Many companies will assert a great work-life balance.—
Kate Wieczorek,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
Verb
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Flotilla detainees alleged Israeli abuse Israeli forces intercepted the 50-boat flotilla in international waters around 250 miles off the coast of Israel beginning on May 18.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
25 May 2026
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Aurora officials also failed to properly train officers on threat assessments, de-escalation, warnings and the constitutional limits on deadly force, the lawsuit alleges.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
25 May 2026
Verb
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In preparation for the race, Nagaldinne spent months incorporating stairmaster workouts into his training routine to simulate the nonstop climbing.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
25 May 2026
-
Do role-playing to simulate what is taking place.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
Verb
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On Sunday, a new sign proclaiming Enrique Martinez Avenue was unveiled on Komensky Avenue just south of 63rd Street, in the neighborhood where Officer Martinez grew up.—
Acacia Hernandez,
CBS News,
24 May 2026
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OpenAI’s o1 model, the coverage incorrectly proclaimed, outperformed the reasoning of emergency physicians to diagnose triage complaints.—
Jesse Pines,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Profess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profess. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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