1
as in accomplice
one associated with another in wrongdoing
the police were able to track down his confederates once the thief started talking
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2
as in supporter
someone associated with another to give assistance or moral support
relied on her confederates in the medical community for support
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to cooperate
to form or enter into an association that furthers the interests of its members
the nations confederated in order to lower international trade barriers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in allied
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of confederate
David French, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
Trump reverted back to the names honoring confederates.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
Mark Sherman, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2024
The Kinfolk app’s launch comes as fierce debate rages about the monuments staring down at us from city centers: those that pay tribute to confederate leaders, slave owners, or other tarnished once-heroes.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 21 Nov. 2022
Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 May 2025
The series somewhat downplays the real-life danger: In the show, men in a truck wagging a confederate flag egg Ali’s lodge.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for confederate
Noun
Players can enrich themselves and their confederates, at least until they’re caught.
—David French, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
Trump reverted back to the names honoring confederates.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
After Congress passed an amnesty for most of the former confederates the measure targeted in 1872, the provision fell into disuse until dozens of suits were filed to keep Trump off the ballot this year.
—Mark Sherman, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2024
The Kinfolk app’s launch comes as fierce debate rages about the monuments staring down at us from city centers: those that pay tribute to confederate leaders, slave owners, or other tarnished once-heroes.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 21 Nov. 2022
Adjective
More than 2,000 confederate symbols remain across the country, and some have even been restored including those Virginia schools reclaiming their names.
—Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 May 2025
The series somewhat downplays the real-life danger: In the show, men in a truck wagging a confederate flag egg Ali’s lodge.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for confederate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confederate
Noun
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Even though Epstein is long dead and his chief accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, is in prison, Benavidez says more people need to be held accountable.—
Hallie Jackson,
NBC news,
20 Apr. 2026
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None of the three had anything to do with the crimes committed by their husbands, but they’ve all been shunned by neighbors and friends, and viewed as accomplices by outsiders.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In the aftermath, Steyer and his rivals have been working to win over Swalwell’s supporters.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2026
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His supporters touted video of Stevens being booed at the convention, only to watch other Democrats openly resent the disruption — likening it to activists on the left who refused to vote for Democratic nominees in 2016 and 2024.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Alia urged residents to remain calm and to continue to cooperate with security agencies on rescue efforts and other operations.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Vega stated that Mezime did not resist and cooperated, giving a confession at the station.—
Steven Yablonski,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Ukraine’s battlefield experience, as a result, has become one of the most valuable resources in the world, with American and allied forces asking Ukrainian drone experts to share their knowledge.—
Aaron Brynildson,
The Conversation,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Several tankers have been targeted in attacks carried out by Iranian forces and allied groups.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In 2014, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration reinterpreted Article 9 to allow Japan’s Self-Defense Forces to more actively contribute to international peacekeeping efforts and defend allies.—
Sam Meredith,Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2026
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The Latest Estonia’s government criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy over his warning that Russia could be preparing to attack the Baltic states, a rare rebuke from one of Kyiv’s staunchest allies.—
Suzanne Lynch,
Bloomberg,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That same year, the pair united again for a 10-day summer tour of Canada.—
Kate Hogan,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
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What unites all these approaches is willingness to move beyond formulaic pairings into experiences that are both intuitive and adventurous.—
Anna Lee Iijima,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This was a bipartisan effort, led by state attorneys general from across the country and across the political spectrum, because this isn’t a partisan issue.—
Letitia James,
Rolling Stone,
21 Apr. 2026
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Critics say the event has a highly partisan list of participants and is part of a larger project to connect America's upcoming 250th birthday with a Christian nationalist vision that portrays the nation's founding as essentially Christian, something many historians dispute.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Director Jon Favreau took the CinemaCon stage to debut the opening 17 minutes of the film, which saw Mando infiltrate a secret meeting of Empire sympathizers and blow up massive AT-AT walkers on a snowy planet.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
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Ramping up the detention of Starlight sympathizers isn’t filling the hole in his heart.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confederate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confederate. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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