posing 1 of 3

adjective

as in pretending

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posing

2 of 3

verb (1)

present participle of pose
as in suggesting
to set before the mind for consideration posed an interesting question for the visiting astronomer

Synonyms & Similar Words

posing

3 of 3

verb (2)

present participle of pose
as in puzzling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty utterly posed by the barrage of questions

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 posing
Verb
The crabs were first spotted in the Mediterranean Sea in the last century but really began wreaking havoc only around a decade ago, when their population surged, posing a threat both to native biodiversity and to the fishing industry. — Gennaro Tomma, Scientific American, 25 Aug. 2026 Supposedly posing a threat to their idyll on the outskirts are various marauding splinter groups running amok through the barren wasteland of the American Mountain West. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2026 Included in her post was Vandanapu and the rest of the cast posing in front of a picture of the Friends cast, a sitcom they were compared to throughout its run. — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026 The Traitors star could be seen posing nude from behind while bathing in an outdoor shower. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026 In snaps from throughout the years, the teenagers could be seen smiling and posing with each other and their mom. — Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026 Nonetheless, the costs of intercepting incoming munitions could prove particularly high if targets are engaged over populated areas, with drones, defensive munitions and falling debris all posing risks to people and property on the ground. — David Brennan, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2026 Hickey is shown in a photo wearing camo while posing with four dead turkeys. — Kris Millgate, Outdoor Life, 21 Aug. 2026 Spitze could continue posing a danger in prison if officials are not careful, researcher Becca Spinks told the Washington Examiner. — Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 20 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for posing
  1. pretending
  2. suggesting
  3. puzzling
  4. duplicitous
  5. proposing
  6. baffling
  7. hypocritical
  8. offering
Adjective
  • There can be no more pretending, briefing or hiding.
    — Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Definition of pretending
Verb
  • When Winter played Carnegie Hall in December 2025, after a massive Geese tour, many attendees noted Anderson and Benny Safdie on stage with cameras, suggesting a film project was in the works.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Researchers noted that many cases of dementia were not captured on death certificates, suggesting the burden of neurodegenerative disease among former players may be underestimated.
    — Dr. Onaola Adedeji, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of suggesting
Verb
  • Over the course of her prolific career, Zambreno has written 10 books — each as puzzling and surprising as the last.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The bizarre body plan Before this discovery, there was a puzzling 80-million-year gap in the fossil record.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of puzzling
Adjective
  • Cypher probably is best known for his role as the politics-savvy and sometimes duplicitous Police Chief Fletcher Daniels in more than 70 episodes of NBC’s 1980s cop drama Hill Street Blues from 1981-87.
    — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The more beautiful a woman, the more likely her exterior attributes displayed a duplicitous nature.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
Definition of duplicitous
Verb
  • Boulder Valley School District leaders are proposing a major reshaping of schools across the district as enrollment continues to decline.
    — Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Back in 2021, Parton asked that a bill proposing a statue in her likeness at the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville be dropped.
    — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of proposing
Verb
  • Despite some protests about a dog contributing to the game, Buddy — clad in a bright blue jersey and two pairs of basketball kicks — scores baffling basket after baffling basket, leaving the other team shocked.
    — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026
  • While Loathe’s baffling compositional choices may jump out first, the album’s most glaring flaw is its production.
    — Patrick Lyons, Pitchfork, 16 July 2026
Definition of baffling
Adjective
  • There is something deeply hypocritical about discovering and using the language of women’s liberation only when your own status, reputation, or income is at stake.
    — Laura Jung, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2026
  • That some people in these industries, including those who are well paid, would look at our economy and seek out other ways of doing things is neither hypocritical nor surprising.
    — Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of hypocritical
Verb
  • Its rise also marks the beginning of the Hindu celebration of Pitru Paksha, during which worshippers perform rites to honor ancestors by offering prayers and food to past members of their families.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The Mamdani administration has taken encouraging steps, including offering free naloxone by mail through its Just in Case campaign and investing $12 million to train and employ 500 additional peer specialists.
    — Joel Teron, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of offering

Browse Nearby Words

posies
posing
posing (as)
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Cite this Entry

“Posing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/posing. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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