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 Millions of votes are not yet cast, and anyone professing to know exactly what's going to happen is lying. — Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 13 Oct. 2026 The designer, who was hailed as a visionary in the industry throughout the ‘90s and early ‘00s, sparked outrage in 2011 following multiple antisemitic and racist incidents, including professing his love for Hitler at a restaurant in Paris. — Sabienna Bowman, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for professing
  1. pretending
  2. declaring
  3. insisting
  4. assuming
  5. asserting
  6. alleging
  7. simulating
  8. proclaiming
Verb
  • Lee ingratiates himself by pretending to be interested in becoming a CO himself — attracted to the manliness and the glamor.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In a news release, police said that 25-year-old Baldwin Park resident Juan Carlos Amaya contacted the teenage girl via Snapchat and began talking to her while pretending to be 17 years old.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of pretending
Verb
  • The lawsuit seeks, among other remedies, reinstatement to the FBI, an awarding of back pay and a court order declaring that the firings were unlawful.
    — Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • And then there were also newspapers declaring that having this near-instant communication across the oceans would basically usher in an era of world peace.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of declaring
Verb
  • Stay flexible instead of insisting everyone stick to the script.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Ironically, the organization has previously objected to certain uses of AI in schools, insisting that AI must remain under human supervision and cannot replace teachers in core instruction or grading.
    — Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of insisting
Verb
  • Check your insurance terms directly rather than assuming elective treatment or related complications are covered.
    — Kaitlyn Gomez, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
  • However, other analysts have expressed concerns about assuming that take-or-pay legal structures are iron-clad and about equating backlogs with revenue.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of assuming
Verb
  • Moriarty's office said rejection killings are a form of femicide in which women are targeted for asserting autonomy over their bodies.
    — Jason Rantala, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Trump is accustomed to asserting the primacy of force over law and clearly anticipates no punishment for doing so in front of a body dedicated to saving humanity from the scourge of war.
    — Anjali Dayal, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of asserting
Verb
  • On September 16th, a woman identified only as Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit alleging that she had been gang-raped nearly two years earlier, in October, 2024, in the alumni room at the Chi Phi fraternity house at Cornell University.
    — Anahid Nersessian, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is suing HailgateA2 LLC and its owner after several people filed complaints alleging they were scammed out of tickets and memorabilia related to University of Michigan events.
    — DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of alleging
Verb
  • Simulating an investment banker’s work is fundamentally different from simulating a software engineer’s work, CEO Jerry Wu tells Fortune.
    — Wen Shao, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Silicon sampling troubles some polling traditionalists who are uneasy about ethical and other implications of simulating human responses.
    — W. Joseph Campbell, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of simulating
Verb
  • Jamal convened a press conference proclaiming to be able to communicate by phone with Somali pirates who were holding a Nigerian ship hostage.
    — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Iran published a 14,390-word letter to Americans this week proclaiming the regime’s victory over the US, suggesting the two sides were no closer to resolving their seven-month war through diplomatic means.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 1 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 2026.

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