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
The errant or confabulated information that AI tools can generate is often referred to as hallucinations.
—
Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026
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
Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confabulate
Verb
-
After consulting the video assisted referee, the official gave Zwane a red card.—
Eduard Cauich,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
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Across campuses, students work with industry leaders to consult on business challenges that help deepen emotional intelligence and communication skills, while sharpening their abilities to pitch and present campaigns to real clients as part of their classwork.—
Neeli Bendapudi,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
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After conferring, Robinson and the other justices returned the case to the lower court for further proceedings.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
3 June 2026
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Rick Kranitz, then Atlanta’s pitching coach, made a fourth-inning mound visit to confer with his pitcher and catcher.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2026
Verb
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The pair visited Ethiopia in 2019 and met with Sahle-Work Zewde, the first woman president of Ethiopia to discuss ways to help girls continue their schooling.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
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The supervisors had discussed in March whether the money could be used to address pressing demands across the county, such as the multimillion-dollar liability from the Airport fire in 2024.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Paul DiPierro and Scott Ostrander, owners of adjacent restaurant Origami Asian Grill, encouraged Pruner to talk to the landlord when the space vacated.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
-
My mother opens the balcony door and starts hanging up underpants, talking to the guests with her back to them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confabulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confabulate. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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