Synonym Chooser

How is the word avow distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of avow are affirm, assert, declare, and protest. While all these words mean "to state positively usually in anticipation of denial or objection," avow stresses frank declaration and acknowledgment of personal responsibility for what is declared.

avowed that all investors would be repaid in full

When might affirm be a better fit than avow?

The synonyms affirm and avow are sometimes interchangeable, but affirm implies conviction based on evidence, experience, or faith.

affirmed the existence of an afterlife

Where would assert be a reasonable alternative to avow?

Although the words assert and avow have much in common, assert implies stating confidently without need for proof or regard for evidence.

asserted that modern music is just noise

When would declare be a good substitute for avow?

In some situations, the words declare and avow are roughly equivalent. However, declare stresses open or public statement.

declared her support for the candidate

When could protest be used to replace avow?

The words protest and avow can be used in similar contexts, but protest emphasizes affirming in the face of denial or doubt.

protested that he really had been misquoted

Examples 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 avow The Bear executive producers Josh Senior and Christopher Storer are avowed fans of ’90s music. Spin Staff, SPIN, 27 June 2024 As the country awaited the Investigative Committee's findings, several Kremlin allies and avowed Russian nationalists have provided their own theories. Charles Maynes, NPR, 25 June 2024 If Trump tries to appoint unqualified or avowed anti-Constitution people to cabinet and other high level posts, the Senate, including some Republicans, will refuse to confirm them. Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 13 May 2024 By contrast to his predecessors, Xi’s avowed ideological understanding of socialism leans heavily on traditional Han Chinese history and culture. Haiyun Ma, Foreign Affairs, 6 Sep. 2023 See all Example Sentences for avow 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avow
Verb
  • Built on the grounds of an ancient convent, the company insists that the inner workings of the factory remain secret.
    Sofia Celeste, WWD, 21 Nov. 2024
  • However, the victims' parents on Monday insisted that the school was the fourth culprit in the massacre.
    Christina Coulter, Fox News, 19 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • The virus’ spread prompted the World Health Organization in August to declare a public health emergency of international concern, particularly as the virus spread to several other neighboring countries in Africa.
    Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 17 Nov. 2024
  • Edgewell's board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.15 per common share, payable on January 8, 2025, to shareholders of record as of December 3, 2024.
    Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • In a 2023 lawsuit, 20 patients alleged doctors delayed or denied medically-necessary care out of confusion and fear of the penalties for violating the law, which include loss of medical license, fines of $100,000 or more and sentences of up to life in prison.
    Bayliss Wagner, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
  • Florida Lawsuit alleges hundreds of thousands of complaints The Florida lawsuit has alleged more than 100,000 people complained of problems online.
    John Tufts, The Courier-Journal, 21 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • The senator embraces Trump’s policy of peace through strength, which professes that a firm stance against adversaries will reduce the need for foreign engagement.
    Chloe Berger, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2024
  • Netflix acknowledged the complaints registered on social media, with X users posting heavily pixelated videos professing to be of the match.
    Kate Gibson, CBS News, 19 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • The letter claims that separate agreements with the NTIA and Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a nonprofit established by the Commerce Department to oversee the web’s domain name system, have allowed VeriSign to establish monopoly power.
    Joel Khalili, WIRED, 22 Nov. 2024
  • The Canadian hitmaker, who previously claimed the No. 1 spot in 2018 with Shawn Mendes and reached No. 2 with 2020’s Wonder, remains a force to be reckoned with on the ARIA charts.
    Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 22 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • The Final Two Pockets Of Spending Are Hidden From View Economists have long asserted that soaring premiums suppress wage growth.
    Arthur L. Kellermann, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
  • Turning her childhood bedroom into a zone of maximal coziness—including, recently, with the addition of a white Aeron chair—was a way of asserting control.
    Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Smollett's legal team contended in their appeal that the involvement of a special prosecutor was improper after the Cook County State's Attorney had initially dismissed the charges.
    Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024
  • Trump supporters will contend that his cultural conservatism and promise of a better economy helped turn the tide.
    Niall Stanage, The Hill, 6 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • When apartheid finally collapsed in the 1990s, Nelson Mandela proudly proclaimed the return of his country to the international community.
    Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 20 Nov. 2024
  • The bottom line is that critics and skeptics proclaim that AI sovereignty is either infeasible or improper.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near avow

Cite this Entry

“Avow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avow. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on avow

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!