professing

verb

present participle of profess
1
as in pretending
to present a false appearance of professed friendship while secretly plotting revenge

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in declaring
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 insisting
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 professing For graduates pessimistic about AI’s implications for the labor market, claims professing its value feel inauthentic. — Evan Clarkson, The Conversation, 6 Aug. 2026 The finale ended with Malcolm finally professing his feelings for Lori. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 7 July 2026 In recent campaign communications, all three Democrats running to become the next governor of Kansas have cited internal data professing themselves to be leading their primary competition. — Matthew Kelly updated June 26, Kansas City Star, 26 June 2026 Carolla then turned more serious, professing his lifelong love of the medium. — City News Service, Daily News, 28 May 2026 After professing an oath of faithfulness to observe the customs of the cathedral, the archbishop may place a hand upon it or kiss it. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Mar. 2026 The brothers discussed that game on their Einfach Mal Luppen podcast the week, with Toni professing a fondness for Dan Burn’s agricultural style. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2026 Columbia Acting President Claire Shipman wrote in a morning email to students and faculty the Department of Homeland Security gained access to the Manhattan building by professing to be searching for a missing person. — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 26 Feb. 2026 In response, Carlson sent Goldberg a series of hostile texts professing ignorance and warning Goldberg not to make his criticism public. — Jason Zengerle, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for professing
  1. pretending
  2. declaring
  3. insisting
  4. assuming
  5. asserting
  6. alleging
  7. simulating
  8. proclaiming
Verb
  • The two are only able to unlock a new understanding of each other by pretending to be strangers meeting for the first time.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The fix is to stop pretending a general-purpose adult chatbot is a children's tutor.
    — Dana Williams, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of pretending
Verb
  • The person did not elaborate on the reasons for declaring the two men ineligible.
    — Doug Feinberg, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Under current law, the President has the flexibility to order a limited drawdown, releasing up to 30 million barrels over a 60-day period, to mitigate sudden supply shocks without declaring a full-scale national emergency.
    — Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of declaring
Verb
  • That hasn’t stopped Casinos and sportsbooks, who have every reason to feel threatened by a more fair and transparent model, from insisting these markets have no economic utility.
    — Brian Quintenz, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
  • When the attention waned, Freedom showed up to one of Sophie Cunningham’s games, hoping to mooch off the fame of America’s new athlete face of trans resistance, wearing a shirt insisting that a woman is defined by biology alone.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of insisting
Verb
  • Coronated at age 3 after his father’s death, the curious boy king in colorful robes mesmerized world leaders and ruled through regents until assuming full authority at 18.
    — Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • At those levels, assuming no additional charges, paying off the debt while making minimum payments could take nearly 27 years and cost nearly $13,000 in interest alone, according to Bankrate's credit card calculator.
    — Mike Winters, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of assuming
Verb
  • Dockworkers are blocking weapons shipments, asserting the right to conscientious objection as a means of protection from unjustified charges and disciplinary action.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2026
  • McArn agreed, asserting that closing the contract would not prevent the district and teachers association from negotiating further.
    — Chaewon Chung August 28, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of asserting
Verb
  • Jacqueline Smith, the publication’s ombudsman, sued the Department of Defense in June, alleging First Amendment violations after being forced out.
    — Liam Reilly, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Authorities say the victim waited a week to report the incident, alleging that Alvarez warned him not to contact law enforcement.
    — Steve Maugeri, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of alleging
Verb
  • The $31 billion spending program Taipei unveiled is one of a number of efforts to respond, such as expanding live-fire exercises to include the use of first-person view drones and simulating a maritime blockade.
    — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • My own view is that the bill should have more restrictive testing requirements around edge cases—for instance, simulating power outages or major emergencies—before driverless vehicles can be deployed.
    — Rogé Karma, The Atlantic, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of simulating
Verb
  • Her son Spencer, 5, could be heard proclaiming his hunger in the back of the video and is seen grabbing a few slices of Parmesan cheese prepped for the salad.
    — Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026
  • Carlson, who had just released a documentary called The End of Men, devoted hours of airtime to proclaiming Tate’s innocence; so did the right-wing podcaster Candace Owens.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
Definition of proclaiming

Browse Nearby Words

professes
professing
profession
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Cite this Entry

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

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