PROFESSES Synonyms: 109 Similar and Opposite Words

professes

verb

present tense third-person singular of profess

as in pretends

to present a false appearance of professed friendship while secretly plotting revenge

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in declares

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

as in insists

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 professes Harry Styles professes his love for techno music via a hat during a walk in North London on June 25. — Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 29 June 2026 All proudly professes himself as a man of faith. — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 2 June 2026 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 Vance professes to be ‘obsessed’ with UFO files Trump appears skeptical about the existence of extraterrestrial life. — Collin Binkley, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026 Instead of a mutual parting of ways, Howard professes his love for Nancy and proposes that the two be together. — Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2026 Trump often professes his support for farmers. — Anthony Pahnke, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026 The upcoming exhibition's contemporary edge professes the importance of displaying Native American art of the present, to resist the erasure of living, thriving Indigenous American cultures and communities. — Anya Sesay, jsonline.com, 26 Feb. 2026 In this context, improving pay and addressing disparities will be a formidable undertaking for a mayoral administration that professes a commitment to economic justice. — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for professes

Verb

And Brand New Day pretends to tell that story, for about 20 minutes.

— David Sims, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Ariane lies to him and pretends to be an experienced dame and never reveals her real name.

— Air Mail, Air Mail, 18 July 2026

Definition of pretends

Verb

Harvey, whose own foundation went 17 years without winning a single grant, argues AI can cut the paperwork burden — but insists human judgment and relationships stay irreplaceable.

— Victor Dey, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Instead of budgeting for $1,800 in tissues, the school insists on agitating parents all summer over crap like this.

— Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of insists

Verb

The filing puts his value at some $600 million in assets and business interests at the time of his death, and asserts that Tracey is looking for her rightful share.

— Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Hirsch asserts Turnout has helped more than 10,000 people with Social Security disability claims alone.

— Victor Dey, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of asserts

Verb

The lawsuit, led by City Attorney Ryan Richardson, also alleges pest infestations, security problems, and unrepaired fire, water, and structural damage inside the 98-unit building.

— CBS News, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
The Boulder County District Attorney’s Office alleges Hilliard stole $9,510 while working as the administrator of Colorado’s Nike Elite program from 2021 to 2025.

— Matt Moret, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of alleges

Verb

The Wan Chun drill simulates the evacuation of Taiwan’s leader to a safe place in the event of war or other emergencies.

— Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Here’s music that doesn’t just deal with pain but structurally simulates it—music about falling apart that falls apart itself.

— Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of simulates

Verb

But no longer, according to a new analysis, which proclaims that the long American sellers’ market has finally ended.

— Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 15 June 2026
Across 45 recipes — each its own kind of breadcrumb-naming treatise — the duo proclaims how versatile the kitchen staple both is and can be.

— Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 8 June 2026

Definition of proclaims

Browse Nearby Words

professedly

professes

professing

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Professes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/professes. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of professes

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on professes

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

salvo

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes