1
as in to vow
to make a solemn declaration of intent
they promised to keep in touch with us after they moved away
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to predict
to show signs of a favorable or successful outcome
given the cast, the new sitcom promises to be an excellent show
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in vow
a person's solemn declaration that he or she will do or not do something
he made a promise to arrive on time, come hell or high water
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of promise
Katie Fehrenbacher, Axios, 11 Feb. 2025
Internal Revenue Service The fate of the IRS is up for debate as Republicans decide what tax reforms to enact after Trump promised trillions in cuts on the campaign trial.
—Austin Denean, Baltimore Sun, 10 Feb. 2025
Sharon Bernstein, Sacramento Bee, 8 Feb. 2025
The 36-year-old big man was following through on a pregame promise.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for promise 
Verb
For companies that can secure a contract, the DOD promises to be one of the fastest tracks to commercialization.
—Katie Fehrenbacher, Axios, 11 Feb. 2025
Internal Revenue Service The fate of the IRS is up for debate as Republicans decide what tax reforms to enact after Trump promised trillions in cuts on the campaign trial.
—Austin Denean, Baltimore Sun, 10 Feb. 2025
Noun
Trump campaigned on promises to deport millions of undocumented migrants living in the U.S., and swiftly moved to begin detentions.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacramento Bee, 8 Feb. 2025
The 36-year-old big man was following through on a pregame promise.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for promise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for promise
Verb
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Meantime, immigrant rights activists are vowing to disrupt any raids. — PREPPING FOR ’26: The Department of Recreation and Parks has begun laying the groundwork for a bond measure in 2026 to generate funding for its facilities.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2025
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Al Sharpton, president of the National Action Network, said his organization is putting together a 90-day commission of civil rights groups to study corporations that make money off Black communities, but have vowed to end DEI initiatives.—
Deborah Barfield Berry,
USA TODAY,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
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That’s the part that’s really difficult to predict and build into an analysis.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes,
11 Feb. 2025
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Fundamental research in the biology of branching helps cure cardiovascular diseases and cancer, design materials that can heal themselves and predict how trees will respond to a changing climate.—
Mitchell Newberry,
The Conversation,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
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And this week on Face the Nation: President Trump continues to make good on his campaign pledges.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2025
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Trump followed through on his pledge to hike tariffs on China by 10%, prompting retaliatory action and rattling businesses.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA TODAY,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Hours after he was sworn into office, Trump signed an executive order giving him more power over career federal workers.—
Zach Halaschak,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
7 Feb. 2025
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Shannon Lancaster, the wife of the Cabarrus County Republican Party chair, was sworn into office this week despite a formal complaint made against the appointment.—
Nora O’Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Feb. 2025
Verb
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But people who work in civil rights warn the firings are part of a broad attempt to dismantle the infrastructure for addressing systemic inequalities in America.—
Andrea Hsu,
NPR,
9 Feb. 2025
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On top of the existing tsunami warning, the center also issued a threat advisory for Cuba, Honduras and the Cayman Islands.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
9 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Talking in a masterclass at the Berlin Film Festival’s European Film Market on Saturday, the producer hinted that the idea had crossed her mind during Trump’s first month, which has seen extreme policy shifts around immigration, trade tariffs, DEI programs and foreign aid.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
15 Feb. 2025
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Earle made her own video following the trend on Jan. 17, hinting to her more than 7 million followers that her relationship status might be changing.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
People.com,
12 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near promise
Cite this Entry
“Promise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/promise. Accessed 18 Feb. 2025.
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