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 Monarez's ouster, less than one month after the Senate confirmed her to the role, was followed by resignations from three other top CDC officials in protest of Kennedy's leadership, including his direction on vaccines. Molly Beck, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025 Instead of confirming or denying, the Colorado Buffaloes head coach flashed a wide smile and pretended the connection on their call was too poor to proceed. Angel Saunders, People.com, 29 Aug. 2025 Officials have not confirmed whether Vance will be in Cincinnati this weekend. David Ferrara, The Enquirer, 29 Aug. 2025 Detroit police confirmed Friday the victim had a personal protection order against the suspect, but it had not been served. Tanya Wildt, Freep.com, 23 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for confirm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confirm
Verb
  • The news organizations verified the data, including by soliciting input from professors at universities in Texas.
    ProPublica, ProPublica, 4 Sep. 2025
  • At one point during the hearing, the Health secretary claimed that Black boys who receive the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine have a higher risk of autism, which has never been verified by scientists.
    Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In 2015, the Louisville Metro Council approved committing $139 million for construction of the hotel, which opened in 2018.
    Matthew Glowicki, The Courier-Journal, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Lawmakers in California responded in kind, approving a measure to put a proposal on the November ballot that would suspend current redistricting rules and allow Democrats to gain a similar number of seats.
    Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Air Canada's flight attendants have for months argued new contracts should include pay for work done on the ground, such as boarding passengers.
    Nathan Gomes, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2025
  • Norquist argued that states like Florida, which has no income tax, continue to generate revenue even after cutting personal levies.
    Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • By the end of the novel, that opening line has been both called into question and ratified.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Drivers and budtenders at Ascend Cannabis Provisions in Grand Rapids ratified their first contract with Teamsters Local 406 two years ago.
    Adrienne Roberts, Freep.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Trades finalize in three to five seconds, enabling near-instant payment finality, and transaction fees are measured in fractions of a cent.
    Sean Lee, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Those include making people verify old account information when requesting a change and requiring comptroller office staff to speak with a vendor’s representative on the phone to finalize an account change.
    David Clarey, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • For the high court to accept a petition to hear full arguments, four of the nine justices must vote to grant certiorari.
    Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025
  • On Wednesday night, the president asked the Supreme Court to quickly accept and rule on an appeal seeking to overturn the lower court decision.
    Jenni Reid,Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Confirm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confirm. Accessed 7 Sep. 2025.

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