profess

practice as a profession, teach, or claim to be knowledgeable about

• “She professes organic chemistry”

confess one''s faith in, or allegiance to

• “The terrorists professed allegiance to the Muslim faith”
• “he professes to be a Communist”

admit, make a clean breast of

• “She confessed that she had taken the money”

state freely

• “The teacher professed that he was not generous when it came to giving good grades”

receive into a religious order or congregation

take vows, as in religious order

• “she professed herself as a nun”

state insincerely

• “He professed innocence but later admitted his guilt”
• “She pretended not to have known the suicide bomber”
• “She pretends to be an expert on wine”