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
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
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
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Players can enrich themselves and their confederates, at least until they’re caught.
—David French, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
Mark Sherman, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2024
The Kinfolk app’s launch comes as fierce debate rages about the monuments staring down at us from city centers: those that pay tribute to confederate leaders, slave owners, or other tarnished once-heroes.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 21 Nov. 2022
Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 May 2025
The series somewhat downplays the real-life danger: In the show, men in a truck wagging a confederate flag egg Ali’s lodge.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for confederate
Noun
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
Players can enrich themselves and their confederates, at least until they’re caught.
—David French, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
After Congress passed an amnesty for most of the former confederates the measure targeted in 1872, the provision fell into disuse until dozens of suits were filed to keep Trump off the ballot this year.
—Mark Sherman, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2024
The Kinfolk app’s launch comes as fierce debate rages about the monuments staring down at us from city centers: those that pay tribute to confederate leaders, slave owners, or other tarnished once-heroes.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 21 Nov. 2022
Adjective
More than 2,000 confederate symbols remain across the country, and some have even been restored including those Virginia schools reclaiming their names.
—Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 May 2025
The series somewhat downplays the real-life danger: In the show, men in a truck wagging a confederate flag egg Ali’s lodge.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for confederate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confederate
Noun
-
Investigators are looking into whether there are more burial sites and any accomplices.—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
14 June 2026
-
He’s unexpectedly visited by Little John (Bill Skarsgård), once one of his underage criminal accomplices, and asked to help defend the younger man’s family and homestead from vengeful past foes.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
At previous tournaments, some teams and supporters have appeared happy just to enjoy the experience with little hope of progressing beyond the group stage.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
-
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government is dominated by settler leaders and supporters, and key Cabinet ministers are pushing for a formal annexation of the territory.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The German government acknowledged the companies’ inability to cooperate on the jet but, speaking at the Berlin Air Show this week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz struck an optimistic tone, looking ahead to what the countries could still achieve with the rest of the FCAS project.—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
-
During a September 2025 exercise, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency held a triage challenge to test the abilities of drones to cooperate with humans in responding to casualties.—
Zita Ballinger Fletcher,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
Flynn wants allied coordination and worries about unilateral overreach.—
Mayra Rodriguez Valladares,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
Investigating active government officials in Mexico is a new strategy for the United States, which in the past refrained from targeting sitting leaders in allied countries with criminal investigations because of the clear political ramifications.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Tehran signaled that Israeli military action against its regional allies could also trigger a direct Iranian response.—
Abbas Al Lawati,
CNN Money,
10 June 2026
-
Animals serve as allies, guides, objects of cruelty and aggression, and as striking metaphors for power, imperialism, and insurrection.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Outside the stadium, protesters clashed over Iran’s oppressive regime and its place in the tournament as players vowed to rise above politics and unite Iranians through soccer.—
Iliana Limón Romero,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
-
With the family seemingly united on this front, all eyes now turn to whether the court will allow Nick to use the trust.—
Allison DeGrushe,
StyleCaster,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Former council member Kenneth McClary supported the argument that bitter partisan divisiveness in town is turning some people away from voting.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
9 June 2026
-
As prominent Harvard Law professor Laurence Tribe and conservative jurist Michael Luttig argued, the archaic law was dangerously flawed and fundamentally ripe for partisan exploitation.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Bryant’s book follows the lives of Robinson and Robeson, two high-profile African Americans whose lives were altered during the Cold War and its hunt for communist sympathizers.—
Bob Kustra,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
-
In a society traumatized by the violence of the last 70 years, the new president came to power seeking to resume the path established by the 2016 peace agreement, in which about 13,000 FARC combatants and sympathizers exchanged armed struggle for amnesty and state protection.—
Roberto Andrés,
The Dial,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confederate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confederate. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
