as in to consult
to exchange viewpoints or seek advice for the purpose of finding a solution to a problem
an Alzheimer's support group in which caregivers can confabulate as well as commiserate
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Recent Examples of confabulate
These failures occurred when the AI models confabulated successful operations and built subsequent actions on false premises, highlighting the risks of depending on AI assistants that can misinterpret file structures or fabricate data to hide their errors.
—
ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2025
Consider Samuel and Miranda in their hotel’s breakfast area:
The personnel dressed in white jackets the next morning were busy confabulating and joking with one another while cheesy loud music was playing in the background.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2019
Then Michael confabulated much longer and more fruitfully.
—Josh Rottenberg, latimes.com, 9 Oct. 2017
Confabulation seems to be more frequent in the face of repeatedly unpacking a memory; in other words, someone like EpicJourneyMan, who regularly ordered children’s videos and watched them to find damaged tape, is more likely to confabulate a specific memory from that material.
—Caitlin Aamodt, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2017
ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2025
Consider Samuel and Miranda in their hotel’s breakfast area:
The personnel dressed in white jackets the next morning were busy confabulating and joking with one another while cheesy loud music was playing in the background.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2019
Then Michael confabulated much longer and more fruitfully.
—Josh Rottenberg, latimes.com, 9 Oct. 2017
Confabulation seems to be more frequent in the face of repeatedly unpacking a memory; in other words, someone like EpicJourneyMan, who regularly ordered children’s videos and watched them to find damaged tape, is more likely to confabulate a specific memory from that material.
—Caitlin Aamodt, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confabulate
Verb
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The firm has consulted on water and sewer rate-setting in the state for more than 30 years, officials said.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
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McNee advised anyone who sees a severe crack in a tree to consult an arborist to evaluate if the tree is a safety hazard.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Being entrusted with such secret knowledge conferred a special power on Skinny Pedro.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
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Obviously, this appointment and other authority could have been conferred on the Court of Appeals rather than the chief judge.—
James M. McGuire,
New York Daily News,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Glenn and Engstrand had been discussing his role for several days before deciding to move on.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
28 Jan. 2026
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The status conference in New York City — to discuss how the case would move forward to trial — was abruptly canceled on Tuesday and a new date was not set.—
Beril Akman,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As the industry now begins talking seriously about agentic AI, a more independent and decision-capable form of artificial intelligence, the question is no longer whether AI will reshape cars, but how far it should be allowed to go.—
Peter Lyon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Many survivors have been helped by talking things through with a licensed psychotherapist.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confabulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confabulate. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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