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

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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
  • Steele accepted the reduced charge, along with a separate careless-driving citation, and suspended the athlete’s driver’s license for five years.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The state's highest court declined to accept jurisdiction June 23 before Shirilla's legal team asked the justices to reconsider that decision.
    — Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of accept
Verb
  • The work could also help researchers study other materials where strong electron interactions are thought to play a role, including high-temperature superconductors.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
  • There have been some limited cases in which noncitizens have been criminally charged for voting or attempting to vote, including in Michigan, but it's been rare and not thought to have altered the outcome of any elections.
    — Todd Spangler, Freep.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of think
Verb
  • By studying who farts more, who farts less and how flatulence changes with diet, researchers aim to understand how microbes respond to different foods and why some people can tolerate high-fiber diets comfortably while others struggle with gas.
    — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Scientists have long sought to understand the link between climate change and El Niño.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of understand
Verb
  • Tom Even non-football fans can probably guess who this one is about.
    — Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Instead of guessing the right prompt keywords, a user can simply instruct the model to track the camera left, soften the lighting or maintain a character's expression across different scenes.
    — Coco Mao, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of guess
Verb
  • Investors are no longer treating the loop as background noise, repricing oil, bonds and taking into consideration a hawkish Fed.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Be honest without taking the no-filter approach to a whole new level!
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of take
Verb
  • And the remarkable part of this entire sequence is that at least two characters are actively imagining uses for the box that will compromise the experiment.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
  • One can only imagine what that iPad has looked like in the past few days.
    — Thom Harris, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of imagine
Verb
  • The second might sound unnecessary, but trust the experts here—visit a doctor and get a prescription.
    — Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 3 Sep. 2026
  • How can any of the Clippers partners or sponsors or fans trust this team with their dollars or their time or their affection after they were apparently caught knowingly breaking one of the NBA’s cardinal rules?
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 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

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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 5 Sep. 2026.

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