1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

confederate 1 of 3

noun

Definition of confederatenext
1
as in accomplice
one associated with another in wrongdoing the police were able to track down his confederates once the thief started talking

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in supporter
someone associated with another to give assistance or moral support relied on her confederates in the medical community for support

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

confederate

2 of 3

verb

kən-ˈfe-də-ˌrāt How to pronounce confederate (audio)
as in to cooperate
to form or enter into an association that furthers the interests of its members the nations confederated in order to lower international trade barriers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

confederate

3 of 3

adjective

as in allied

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 confederate
Noun
Hynes died, but his three confederates have been subpoenaed to testify in my malicious prosecution lawsuit. — John O’Hara, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026 As the fallout continues, and fans question the filming and casting decisions of parent company Disney, Paul’s MomTok confederates are issuing statements and subtweets. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
Rowling and longtime confederates Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts are exec producing, so she is expected to be involved in the decision-making on the series. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2025 Authorities are accusing Antonio Hernandez and confederates Ivan Murillo-Hernandez and Alexis Garcia Martinez of ripping off mail from unsuspecting venues with the help of four juveniles, whose names were not released. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2024
Adjective
As the Confederate capital, Richmond’s population had swelled to 100,000, crowded with troops and government workers. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026 Robert Smalls was a former slave and boat pilot who took control of a Confederate ship during the Civil War and sailed it into Union hands. — Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for confederate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confederate
  1. accomplice
  2. supporter
  3. cooperate
  4. allied
  5. ally
  6. unite
  7. partisan
  8. sympathizer
Noun
  • Danette Colbert, 49, was also convicted of racketeering, as was her accomplice, 35-year-old Rickey White, according to Paul Purpura, a spokesperson for the district attorney's office.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Their accomplices — played by Garret Dillahunt and Danielle Macdonald, among others — are mostly figures of fun, granted limited personality and motivation, as the film increasingly stages their doomed venture as ragged farce.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of accomplice
Noun
  • Some of the nations attending the meeting in western Ukraine's Ivano-Frankivsk region, such as Poland and Romania, have been staunch supporters of Ukraine.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Some of the nations attending the meeting in western Ukraine’s Ivano-Frankivsk region, such as Poland and Romania, have been staunch supporters of Ukraine.
    — Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of supporter
Verb
  • Police said the driver involved remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.
    — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Mizusawa argues federal, state, and local governments should cooperate in enforcing immigration laws and has criticized efforts to limit cooperation between local authorities and federal immigration officials.
    — Amy DeLaura, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of cooperate
Adjective
  • The result is a fractured country, with the Houthis controlling the capital and the northwest, and the government and allied factions holding much of the south and east.
    — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Its overseas facilities could also support allied demand as the weapon moves through qualification and into serial manufacturing.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of allied
Noun
  • The Saudis and their allies have long struggled to contain the Houthis, and may be tempted to seek a diplomatic solution to halt attacks.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Some of Arévalo’s former allies, and many of those who voted for him, are dejected, convinced that the president missed a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the country.
    — Will Freeman, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of ally
Verb
  • House of the Dragon, meanwhile, specified that the prophecy was about a Targaryen ruler who would unite Westeros against a coming darkness from the far north.
    — Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
  • To watch 2026 college football means receiving the impression that all of sports and politics are united in favor of a perfect bill, and none of that is the case.
    — Jason Kirk, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of unite
Adjective
  • Mid-decade redistricting frenzy Vance suggested that Republican state lawmakers have every right to dilute the voting power of left-leaning Kansas City amid a bitter partisan fight for control of Congress.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The key ruling came in the Louisiana case, which basically allowed partisan map-drawing so long as the lines weren’t drawn for racial reasons.
    — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of partisan
Noun
  • President John Adams, after losing his 1800 reëlection bid, used his lame-duck period to fill the judiciary with sympathizers.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Yet under the guidance of the shadowy Newin Chidchob, Bhumjaithai has gradually become a force in Thai politics and a crucial ally of the monarchy and its sympathizers.
    — Duncan McCargo, Foreign Affairs, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of sympathizer

Browse Nearby Words

confederacy
confederate
confederated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Confederate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confederate. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All