believe

verb

bə-ˈlēv How to pronounce believe (audio)
Definition of believenext
1
as in to accept
to regard as right or true only the most naive car buyer would have believed the salesman's claim that the dealership was actually losing money on the deal

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to think
to have as an opinion despite the horrors she witnessed and endured, Anne Frank steadfastly believed that "people are really good at heart"

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 believe Analysts believe that the successor's profile could offer the bank re-rating potential, especially as the stock has been battered since the start of the year. — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026 Michael believed that this had to do with the fact that many doctors refuse to see unvaccinated children. — Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 Eight in 10 Americans believe attacking Iran increased the cost of gas and groceries, and a majority disapprove of the war in Iran according to a new UMass Amherst Poll. — Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026 Mittman, however, believes that the number of years spent living abroad should not define the strength of one’s connection. — Natasha Mozgovaya, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for believe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for believe
  1. accept
  2. think
  3. understand
  4. guess
  5. take
  6. imagine
  7. trust
  8. consider
Verb
  • How is this affecting all those people who felt seen and accepted by growing inclusivity?
    — Marti Noxon, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Immigration officials did not accept the letters, according to the group.
    — Drew Aunkst, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of accept
Verb
  • And think about Afghanistan as well, a huge military advantage there, but as US forces were finally being pulled out of there, the Taliban were once again taking control.
    — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Two workers at Germany's Frankfurt airport who caught malaria from a mosquito thought to have arrived on a plane have died, the city's health authority said this week.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of think
Verb
  • Luiz understands that aspect, too, acknowledging that Sporting KC needed him four separate times during Thursday’s news conference.
    — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Instead of starting with a new component, its engineers worked to understand the hardware already available to NAVAIR.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of understand
Verb
  • Trust grows when transformation is communicated clearly instead of left for others to guess.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Their performances keep the audience guessing about both characters until Holloway finally brings the pieces together in a tremendously satisfying finale.
    — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of guess
Verb
  • Fewer suicide attempts will also mean fewer lengthy bridge closures, which affect national security and require drivers to take a 23-mile detour through Imperial Beach and up the Silver Strand to get from San Diego to Coronado.
    — David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Getting a women’s soccer team off the ground takes its challenges, which Keeley Jones (Juno Temple) and Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham) have begun to realize four episodes into the fourth season of Ted Lasso.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of take
Verb
  • Companies are imagining what AI might make possible, and making moves before fully understanding how to get there.
    — Maria Colacurcio, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Superstitious Romans imagined demons lurking in the darkness under the toilet seats.
    — Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of imagine
Verb
  • However, for the rest of the game, Brianna Turner and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus are closer to centers; Turner has offensive limitations while Hammon doesn’t appear to trust Parker-Tyus’ defense.
    — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • If the agent trusts that third party, and that third party’s file points to an unclaimed package, the chain works the same way.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of trust
Verb
  • After Sunday’s game, manager John Schneider indicated the club was still considering all options.
    — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Asked about the cause of the capsize, Erhurman noted the storm, but said the weather was considered suitable for travel.
    — Reuters, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of consider

Phrases Containing believe

Browse Nearby Words

believably
believe
believed
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Cite this Entry

“Believe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/believe. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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