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

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 Earlier this fall, a deadlocked jury in the Lindsay Clancy murder case forced the judge to declare a mistrial. — Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026 WinCo initiated the recall after the bread manufacturer, United States Bakery, determined the hoagie roll packaging did not declare the inclusion of sesame flour on the ingredient list and allergen statement. — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026 Prince William has declared his love for Christopher Nolan films and The Celebrity Traitors in an unexpected appearance on The Graham Norton Show. — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026 The business had been declared insolvent after changing hands for years. — Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for declare

Recent Examples of Synonyms for declare

Verb

The Army has also not announced an operational deployment date.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
Buck and Aikman have been the gold standard for announcing teams during their 25 years together, and breaking them up seems self-destructive.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of announce

Verb

The administration insists its strategy of inflicting economic pain is working.

— Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Putin has long insisted that Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which Russia has tried — and failed — to fully capture over more than four years of war have always been Russian.

— Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of insist

Verb

But experts believe Kim's sister has been asserting her authority recently, too, and appearances like this week's are part of that effort.

— Anna Coren, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Joseph Hill, the director of the Center for Black Deaf Studies at Gallaudet University, asserted that BASL is generally treated as more of a dialect than a language.

— New York Times, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of assert

Verb

As case counts surged in the initial months of the outbreak, population and demographic data revealed who was shouldering the greatest burdens.

— Julie Morita, Time, 25 Oct. 2026
Medical examinations initially revealed no major injury, but his condition deteriorated.

— Lance B. Fulford, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of reveal

Verb

But this particular reality show tries to justify its controversial existence by proclaiming its seriousness with regards to psychology, philosophy, and current events.

— Judy Berman, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Just this week, luminaries like Neil Young and Hideo Kojima came out of the woodwork to proclaim the film a misunderstood masterpiece.

— Nate Jones, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of proclaim

Verb

Phoebe Bridgers has never been shy about professing her love for mainstream country music.

— Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2026
For arrivals willing to submit to the experimental, ever-evolving social structure, and to the limitations that were placed on newcomers, the technologically superior Eiquans professed an indifference that amounted to a willing welcome.

— Jeff Spry, Space.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of profess

Verb

Once everything is organized, PocketWise displays upcoming payments on a subscription calendar and sends renewal reminders before charges are due.

— StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 20 Oct. 2026
Blocked from public view for nine years, the mural was finally displayed in 1957.

— David Hajdu, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 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 27 Oct. 2026.

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