How to Use presuppose in a Sentence

presuppose

verb
  • The rule presupposes a need to restrict student access to the library.
  • Searching for the truth presupposes that there is something to look for.
    — William A. Galston, WSJ, 21 Aug. 2018
  • That, of course, presupposes that the public had not already been warned.
    — Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 2 Aug. 2019
  • This model presupposes a certain amount of waste and spending on weapons that may never be used.
    — Mark Olshaker, Fortune, 20 Apr. 2020
  • All statements by conscious beings presuppose both the laws of logic and the free will of the speaker.
    — WSJ, 15 Aug. 2022
  • Of course, that presupposes that women on the force are treated like officers, not props.
    — Amanda Erickson, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2017
  • But notice, both of those descriptions are ones that presuppose there’s a direction of time.
    — Quanta Magazine, 16 May 2017
  • Those on the right, presupposing that the movie is an anti-Trump document, have railed against it.
    — Daniel D'addario, Variety, 19 Sep. 2024
  • This question presupposes that sports team owners belong in a pantheon — a temple of the gods.
    — Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 June 2018
  • This view presupposes conflict and implies that the only way to deal with large carnivores is to kill or remove them.
    — Vidya Athreya, Scientific American, 27 Mar. 2023
  • That’s because the conversation presupposes that Biden might not be up to the task.
    — Aaron Blake, Washington Post, 1 July 2024
  • Investments that presuppose and fund such support in advance will contribute the most to achieving that goal.
    — Dan Altman, Foreign Affairs, 12 June 2024
  • That presupposes a sophomore jump-not-slump from QB Drake Maye.
    — Greg Cote september 4, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Community, in its setting of boundaries (this, not that; here, not, there), presupposes a degree of conflict.
    — Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024
  • This is one of the two theories that presuppose that there is divine retribution in Hollywood.
    — Jeanie Kasindorf, Vulture, 10 July 2024
  • That means in talent reviews, the conversation should not presuppose a single strategy.
    — Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025
  • There is a misconception rampant in our culture that presupposes criticism correlates to or flows from hate.
    — Gwen Faulkenberry, arkansasonline.com, 12 Dec. 2024
  • The new arrangement under Xi presupposes the absence of rivals.
    — Deng Yuwen, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2025
  • The people that are part of my life presuppose dignity and respect as foundational in every one of their relationships.
    — NBC News, 19 Apr. 2018
  • What can be a progressive tool in the fight for racial unity presupposes that both sides are entering it with, at the very least, a basic knowledge of basic facts on the subject.
    — Lincoln Anthony Blades, Teen Vogue, 6 Feb. 2018
  • My question incorrectly presupposed that Kiffin had gotten over it.
    — Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAY, 2 Oct. 2025
  • The plan presupposes that the Holy Land’s noxious politics have simply vanished.
    — The Economist, 27 June 2019
  • The complication, though, is that the logic presupposes the Royals still have all the right stuff and that there is some beast within that inevitably will awaken.
    — Vahe Gregorian, kansascity.com, 1 May 2017
  • There’s so much unknown, and so many of them presuppose that teams can fill five or six holes in a single cycle when the past tells us that getting three long-term starters in one class constitutes great work by any team.
    — Albert Breer, The MMQB, 30 Apr. 2017
  • Onward presupposes that Earth's history is rich with dragons, wizards, elves, fairies, unicorns, centaurs, and the like.
    — Sam MacHkovech, Ars Technica, 21 Feb. 2020
  • Onward presupposes that Earth's history is rich with dragons, wizards, elves, fairies, unicorns, centaurs, and the like.
    — Sam MacHkovech, Ars Technica, 6 Mar. 2020
  • Science’s quest for knowledge about reality presupposes the importance of truth, both as an end in itself and as a means of resolving problems.
    — Kathleen Higgins, Scientific American, 5 Dec. 2016
  • Such an argument presupposes that the show’s lens is meritocratic, too, in ways that align with and valorize Logan’s success.
    — Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 29 May 2023
  • However, this theory presupposes that the CIA even has anything to hide from the public to begin with.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Benatar also presupposes that his critics will contend that the good in life is sufficient to neutralize the bad, and that not giving potential beings the gift of life is its own kind of harm.
    — Elizabeth Barber, Harper's Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'presuppose.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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