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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Robin Mills, chief executive of Qamar Energy, a consulting firm in Dubai, said there was a disconnect between the price and the geopolitical situation.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
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Any government agency with equity in the information set to be declassified would also be consulted.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Because of this, healthy aging isn’t something natural selection can select for—not enough animals live long enough for healthy aging traits to confer an advantage to their species’ survival.—
Mallory Locklear,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2026
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Trump did not confer with most of our allies, and barely alerted Congress, let alone sought their approval.—
Hanna Rosin,
The Atlantic,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Asia-Pacific markets traded higher overnight, buoyed by a softening in global oil prices on Tuesday as the G7 met to discuss the possible use of emergency crude reserves to ease the supply crunch.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
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In the event of a tornado watch, the NWS recommends folks review and discuss emergency plans, take inventory of supplies and check their safe room.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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He's seen all the computer models, he's talked to all the experts, he's seen the footage coming out of Oklahoma.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Mar. 2026
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Dobbins is a delight to watch and even more fun to talk to.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confabulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confabulate. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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