DECLARE Synonyms: 169 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'declare' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of declare are announce , proclaim , and promulgate . While all these words mean "to make known publicly," declare implies explicitness and usually formality in making known. // the referee declared the contest a draw

Q: Where would 'announce' be a reasonable alternative to 'declare'?

The meanings of announce and declare largely overlap; however, announce implies the declaration of something for the first time. // announced their engagement at a party

Q: When might 'proclaim' be a better fit than 'declare'?

While the synonyms proclaim and declare are close in meaning, proclaim implies declaring clearly, forcefully, and authoritatively. // the president proclaimed a national day of mourning

Q: In what contexts can 'promulgate' take the place of 'declare'?

The words promulgate and declare can be used in similar contexts, but promulgate implies the proclaiming of a dogma, doctrine, or law. // promulgated an edict of religious toleration

declare

verb

di-ˈkler

Definition of declare

as in to announce

to make known openly or publicly she chose to declare her presidential aspirations at her college alma mater

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to insist

to state as a fact usually forcefully she would declare her innocence to the whole world if she could

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to assert

to state clearly and strongly our guest enthusiastically declared that the pie was the best he had ever eaten

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to reveal

to make known (something abstract) through outward signs though she was silent, her expression declared her unwillingness to go along with the others

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb declare differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of declare are announce, proclaim, and promulgate. While all these words mean "to make known publicly," declare implies explicitness and usually formality in making known.

the referee declared the contest a draw

Where would announce be a reasonable alternative to declare?

The meanings of announce and declare largely overlap; however, announce implies the declaration of something for the first time.

announced their engagement at a party

When might proclaim be a better fit than declare?

While the synonyms proclaim and declare are close in meaning, proclaim implies declaring clearly, forcefully, and authoritatively.

the president proclaimed a national day of mourning

In what contexts can promulgate take the place of declare?

The words promulgate and declare can be used in similar contexts, but promulgate implies the proclaiming of a dogma, doctrine, or law.

promulgated an edict of religious toleration

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 declare But there are hidden masses among us who need only catch a glimpse of its college-Photoshop cover art—a Statue of Liberty with her dress hiked up, dancing like the recession had just been declared over—to feel an instant shiver of pathos and pain. — Jia Tolentino, New Yorker, 5 July 2026 In May, authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda declared outbreaks after lab tests detected the spread of Bundibugyo virus, which causes a type of Ebola disease. — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 6 July 2026 However, the polarizing trend has officially been declared *the* pants of summer 2026 thanks to celebrities like Kendall Jenner, Jennifer Lopez, Hailey Bieber, and Gwyneth Paltrow. — Tessa Petak, InStyle, 6 July 2026 The society was formed in 1956 with the express objective to save the old Murphy homestead (called Bay View), which was demolished in 1961 to make way for Central Expressway, even though it had been declared an historical landmark just a year prior. — Katharina Woodman, Mercury News, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for declare

Recent Examples of Synonyms for declare

Verb

Iran also announced the complete closure of airspace over Tehran on Monday.

— Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
Famous friends of the bride and groom have been spotted across New York City headed to the couple's big day, reportedly in Madison Square Garden July 3, almost a year after the pop star and Super Bowl champion announced their romantic engagement.

— Bryan West, USA Today, 4 July 2026

Definition of announce

Verb

Rodríguez rejected those accusations, insisting authorities mobilized immediately.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026
Even with some international teams packing up to go home, Rodríguez late Thursday insisted that the government was not winding down rescue efforts.

— Regina Garcia Cano, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026

Definition of insist

Verb

Kavanaugh could have limited his separate opinion to asserting that Trump’s order couldn’t override a federal law, which was all that was needed to decide the case.

— Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 3 July 2026
Lawyers in the gas station lawsuit assert that technology is enabling antitrust violations.

— Audrey McGlinchy, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026

Definition of assert

Verb

Studies reveal a growing 'proximity bias,' where in-office employees are more likely to receive promotions and recognition, with career prospects for remote workers declining.

— Colleen Batchelder, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
The alleged rape was reported by The Athletic in May, though the identity of the player was not revealed at the time.

— Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026

Definition of reveal

Verb

Also requested were documents related to a lawsuit, recently settled for $135,000, claiming Kramer had given an improper assessment of a property and retaliated against an employee who complained.

— Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 7 July 2026
The government claimed the feature could increase cybercrime incidents and has directed the platform to pause its plans.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 6 July 2026

Definition of claim

Verb

Harry Styles professes his love for techno music via a hat during a walk in North London on June 25.

— Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 29 June 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

Definition of profess

Verb

The lethality of the Russian assaults on Kyiv in the past week displays the challenge Ukraine faces in protecting its capital as Russia innovates and steps up its attacks.

— Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
While your site displays static portfolio shots, Instagram can show the messy but rich middle—the tricky client requests, the material samples, the iteration process that turns a concept into reality.

— Danine Alati, Architectural Digest, 6 July 2026

Definition of display

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declarations

declare

declared

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“Declare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declare. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of declare

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