Synonym Chooser

How does the verb confirm contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of confirm are authenticate, corroborate, substantiate, validate, and verify. While all these words mean "to attest to the truth or validity of something," confirm implies the removing of doubts by an authoritative statement or indisputable fact.

confirmed the reports

When is authenticate a more appropriate choice than confirm?

While the synonyms authenticate and confirm are close in meaning, authenticate implies establishing genuineness by adducing legal or official documents or expert opinion.

handwriting experts authenticated the diaries

When is it sensible to use corroborate instead of confirm?

While in some cases nearly identical to confirm, corroborate suggests the strengthening of what is already partly established.

witnesses corroborated his story

When could substantiate be used to replace confirm?

The synonyms substantiate and confirm are sometimes interchangeable, but substantiate implies the offering of evidence that sustains the contention.

the claims have yet to be substantiated

In what contexts can validate take the place of confirm?

The meanings of validate and confirm largely overlap; however, validate implies establishing validity by authoritative affirmation or by factual proof.

validated the hypothesis by experiments

When would verify be a good substitute for confirm?

In some situations, the words verify and confirm are roughly equivalent. However, verify implies the establishing of correspondence of actual facts or details with those proposed or guessed at.

all statements of fact in the article have been verified

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 confirm Jones provided those services to the youth mentoring group for its annual conferences between 2019 and 2024 under a different audiovisual company, American Electronic Entertainment, aka, AEE Productions, 100 Black Men of America confirmed. Miami Herald, 6 July 2025 The Australian actor died on Wednesday in Clearwater, Florida, following a battle with cancer, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed. Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 5 July 2025 Lily Wang, a product manager for the brand, confirmed that the home can also include solar panels and a rainwater harvesting system. Rylee Johnston, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2025 Ralphs’ death was confirmed in a statement from his representative, though no exact date or cause of death was given. August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for confirm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confirm
Verb
  • For all July 4 plans involving alcohol, plan ahead and verify specific store hours or delivery options directly with retailers.
    Kate Nalepinski, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025
  • An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 3 July 2025
Verb
  • Two sources who spoke to Reuters said the U.S. may approve $30 million per month in grants to the GHF in the future.
    Beth Bailey, FOXNews.com, 12 July 2025
  • The Overland Park City Council recently approved a purchase and sale agreement for a seven-story, 154,000-square foot building on College Boulevard and Metcalf Avenue to create a new City Hall building.
    Taylor O’Connor July 11, Kansas City Star, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • The firm argues that without players like Jane Street, there would be no link between the Indian derivatives market and its real economy.
    Daniel Schlaepfer, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
  • The mass federal layoffs were challenged by a group of unions, non-profits and local governments who argued the administration can't make such sweeping changes without Congress.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 9 July 2025
Verb
  • The accord of the partnership, known as the Nile Basin Initiative, came into force in October without being ratified by Egypt or Sudan.
    Samuel Getachew, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2025
  • After months of contract negotiations and union workers striking down a tentative agreement, workers at GE Appliances have ratified a new labor contract.
    Olivia Evans, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025
Verb
  • The company recently finalized its design of the nine-passenger amphibious aircraft and started building a prototype.
    Daniel Cote, Robb Report, 9 July 2025
  • Then, in May 2024, the NFL finalized its commitment by approving player participation during its annual spring meeting, which was a somewhat surprising move.
    Mark LaSota, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
Verb
  • The 45-year-old accepted a wild card to the Mubadala Citi Open in Washington, D.C. Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh hit a pair of home runs last night to bring his season total to 38, one shy of Barry Bonds’ 2001 record for homers before the All-Star break.
    Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 12 July 2025
  • The bank could accept up to $5 billion during a fiscal year for the loans, loan guarantees, and bonds for eligible projects.
    Molly Gibbs, Sacbee.com, 11 July 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Confirm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confirm. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on confirm

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!