The term DECLARE TO BE A SAINT can be broken down into five crossword solutions: CANONIZE (8 letters), ASSERT (6 letters), STATE (5 letters), AVOW (4 letters), and AVER (4 letters). CANONIZE means to declare a person a saint, usually in the context of the Catholic Church. ASSERT means to STATE something confidently and forcefully. STATE means to express something in words. AVOW means to declare something openly and firmly. AVER means to ASSERT or affirm something as true. All five of these words can be used to describe the act of declaring someone a saint.