1
as in cocky
displaying or marked by rude boldness
his cocksure assertion that only he could solve the problem
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in confident
having or showing a mind free from doubt
you're always so cocksure about everything
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cocksure
Yann Gael, Roger Sallah and Mentor Ba entertain as tough guy gunslingers, but their cocksure attitude is tested when a paranormal foe threatens them and their stash of gold.
—
Thomas Page, CNN, 23 Sep. 2022
From the start, Mr. Koecher was at once brilliant and hard to take—cocksure and certain that he was destined for great things.
—Edward Kosner, WSJ, 25 Aug. 2022
So cocksure are they, even their hair seems to swagger.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2022
Craig Kilborn, the fratty cocksure original host of The Daily Show, had gotten his big call-up from CBS to host the late-night slot following David Letterman’s, which was one of two jobs Stewart didn’t get.
—Devin Gordon, The Atlantic, 21 Apr. 2022
See All Example Sentences for cocksure
Thomas Page, CNN, 23 Sep. 2022
From the start, Mr. Koecher was at once brilliant and hard to take—cocksure and certain that he was destined for great things.
—Edward Kosner, WSJ, 25 Aug. 2022
So cocksure are they, even their hair seems to swagger.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2022
Craig Kilborn, the fratty cocksure original host of The Daily Show, had gotten his big call-up from CBS to host the late-night slot following David Letterman’s, which was one of two jobs Stewart didn’t get.
—Devin Gordon, The Atlantic, 21 Apr. 2022
See All Example Sentences for cocksure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cocksure
Adjective
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Figure skater Adriana Russo (Madelyn Keys) begins training for the world championships and falls for her new partner, a cocky but talented skater named Brayden Elliot (Cale Ambrozic).—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
8 Jan. 2026
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Marty Supreme follows a wildly gifted, unapologetically cocky aspiring table tennis superstar named Marty Mauser (Chalamet), grinding it in Lower Manhattan circa 1952.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which people with less knowledge or skill feel overly confident.—
Dana Kelley,
Arkansas Online,
9 Jan. 2026
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On a crucial third-and-10 just inside field goal range, Beck was confident with his pass to Marion to get well within range.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Or similarly, users pointing out that the Ratliff children, when seated three abreast, resemble the three wise monkeys of see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
7 Jan. 2026
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Up in the balcony, even Statler and Waldorf have stopped cracking wise.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Oddsmakers aren't so sure, making the white-hot and fifth-seeded Texans (12-5) the early favorite even though Houston has never won a road playoff game in its 24-year history.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 2026
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Among the options were rib meat, pork, beef, chicken, no meat, and not sure, the lawyers wrote in the lawsuit.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Gemma reluctantly agrees to rebuild her impudent robot in a new body, and the sequel ends with an explosive showdown between Amelia and M3GAN, who nearly dies in a noble attempt to save Gemma and her niece, Cady (Violet McGraw).—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
29 June 2025
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Fortunately, Snow White’s newfound enlightenment does not deny her the possibility of romance, although princes are now strictly off-limits; her love interest here is a fetchingly impudent bandit, Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), who is leading a scrappy rebellion against the Evil Queen.—
Justin Chang,
The New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The fox would once have crushed this insolent creature with a swipe of her paw.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
19 Nov. 2025
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Beautiful, not perfect; Alex can be rude, insolent, and subject to wild emotional swings and failures of decorum and logic.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Iran woke up over the weekend to dramatic scenes of US forces landing in the Venezuelan capital Caracas to capture Tehran’s ally President Nicolas Maduro and move him to the US in a brazen nighttime operation that saw the president and his wife get dragged out of their bedroom.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
7 Jan. 2026
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Whenever the president floated some bizarre policy idea, issued a new threat, or told a brazen lie about the state of the economy, Hassett would be one of the first people on cable news justifying it.—
Rogé Karma,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Calf & Pony Hair The sleek, tactile surface of pony hair adds a bold edge to any accessory, creating a striking contrast in bags, hats, and footwear.—
Cortne Bonilla,
Vogue,
9 Nov. 2025
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Simone’s performance is mesmerizing—bold, vulnerable, and transformative.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cocksure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cocksure. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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