1
as in cocky
displaying or marked by rude boldness
his cocksure assertion that only he could solve the problem
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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
Amid the cocksure bravado of the adventure-sports world, fluidity is read as weakness.
—
Alison Van Houten, Outside Online, 22 Aug. 2020
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
After the evacuation, the four Brits were skewered as irresponsible and cocksure by Icelanders and media outlets around the world.
—Devon O’Neil, Outside Online, 20 Apr. 2016
See All Example Sentences for cocksure
Alison Van Houten, Outside Online, 22 Aug. 2020
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
After the evacuation, the four Brits were skewered as irresponsible and cocksure by Icelanders and media outlets around the world.
—Devon O’Neil, Outside Online, 20 Apr. 2016
See All Example Sentences for cocksure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cocksure
Adjective
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Te actor stars as Daniel Kaffee, the cocky lieutenant junior grade naval attorney who reluctantly defends two Marines (Wolfgang Bodison and James Marshall) accused of murdering their fellow officer at Guantanamo Bay.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
24 May 2025
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The cocky Ukrainian is constantly boasting of his conquests with women, which intrigues Enzo, who has a girlfriend of his own.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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This is confident cooking that’s nuanced and purposefully understated.—
Andy Wang,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
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The big story Just a week after a breakthrough in U.S.-China trade tensions, neither side can yet be confident that the other is holding up their end of the bargain.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
21 May 2025
Adjective
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The one that was pretty impactful for me at Cannes, at least life trajectory wise, probably more impactful than all of those other films, came in 2012.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
18 May 2025
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Many studies consider the incremental dollars spent on Medicaid by blue states to be a wise investment.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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Grand Canyon's a big day, for sure, but this was completely out of the blue.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
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But one thing's for sure: these moms continue to captivate.—
DeVonne Goode,
Parents,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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One chord appears to speak to the other, sounding almost impudent in their simplicity, equal parts ecstatic and heartbreakingly melancholic.—
Sam Davies,
Rolling Stone,
10 Mar. 2025
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In short, Moscow sees Montenegro as both strategically valuable and an impudent upstart that has thumbed its nose at the Russian bear while genuflecting before NATO and Washington.—
Edward P. Joseph,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Dec. 2016
Adjective
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One’s insolent, calling him lame and old, and the other affectedly infantile, but both are exhausting in their own way.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 2025
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The government, in an insolent filing on Sunday evening, rewrote that instruction.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The brazen shooting of Thompson, in Midtown Manhattan, captured international attention and surfaced deep public resentment toward the healthcare industry.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
15 May 2025
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That theft is believed to have led to the brazen kidnapping in suburban Connecticut of the parents of one of Lam’s alleged co-conspirators by a crew of thugs from Florida who prosecutors say planned to hold the parents for ransom from their newly rich son.—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
15 May 2025
Adjective
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While some men gravitate toward bold logos or avant-garde streetwear, Powers advises balance.—
Cassell Ferere,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
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This is maximalism to a T: a big stripe, a ruffle detail, a bold contrast.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
25 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cocksure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cocksure. Accessed 30 May. 2025.
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