Definition of confidenext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word confide distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of confide are commit, consign, entrust, and relegate. While all these words mean "to assign to a person or place for a definite purpose," confide implies entrusting with great assurance or reliance.

confided complete control of my affairs to my attorney

When is commit a more appropriate choice than confide?

While in some cases nearly identical to confide, commit may express the general idea of delivering into another's charge or the special sense of transferring to a superior power or to a special place of custody.

committed the felon to prison

When could consign be used to replace confide?

While the synonyms consign and confide are close in meaning, consign suggests removing from one's control with formality or finality.

consigned the damaging notes to the fire

Where would entrust be a reasonable alternative to confide?

In some situations, the words entrust and confide are roughly equivalent. However, entrust implies committing with trust and confidence.

the president is entrusted with broad powers

When would relegate be a good substitute for confide?

The words relegate and confide are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, relegate implies a consigning to a particular class or sphere often with a suggestion of getting rid of.

relegated to an obscure position in the company

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of confide Then Rocha saw him a year later, and the student confided that college just wasn’t for him. — Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 14 June 2026 The problem with Dolan, this person confided, was that the owner fancied himself knowledgeable about basketball. — Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 3 June 2026 But during the March video conference, Colorado regulators confided to industry lobbyists that the tool for rooting out fraud isn’t working. — Christopher Osher, ProPublica, 15 May 2026 In video testimony last week, Toner said a starting point for the decision to oust Altman was when OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever, a respected AI scientist, reached out to confide some of his own concerns. — ABC News, 11 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for confide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confide
Verb
  • The authority entrusted to police officers carries with it an equally significant responsibility to act lawfully, ethically and with integrity.
    — Brian Maass, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Despite the poor performance of the PLC units entrusted with holding the coast, Abdulsalam relayed his confidence in the overall capabilities of the army.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Jim Woolery was a dealmaker at the white-shoe law firm Cravath before leaving to run M&A at JPMorgan.
    — Ellen DiMauro, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • If a client’s business looks the same six months after an engagement ends, or if the gains fade the moment the vendor leaves, that was delivery.
    — Vikas Verma, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The twist is, the would-be brides and grooms must hand total control of their love lives to their families.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
  • One day earlier, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget granted $20 million to CBP before the money was handed to the advertising agency.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 6 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Although only group tours are available, there's a free audio app, which gives insight into the collection.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Among Steinbeck purists, giving Cathy a trauma backstory has proven a controversial move — one that just might turn the story’s main moral on its head.
    — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Its ownership can be transferred to a new customer when selling it on secondhand platforms such as Vinted and Vestiaire Collective or Spin’s own peer-to-peer resale hub.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The council voted to transfer personnel and funds from four existing departments involved in homelessness response to the new department.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • In the absence of any sustained challenge to their power, elites seem to trust their capacity to continually outmaneuver the majority of the population regardless of whether or not they are actually trusted.
    — Via Haymarket Books, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Even extensive scrutiny cannot remove the need to trust the people making those decisions.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Partners must divide responsibilities, delegate to each other and determine who has the final say when their territories overlap.
    — Leslie John, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Some responsibilities should be delegated because doing so develops other people.
    — Julien Fortuit, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Though professional society guidelines recommended against performing this biopsy on women 70 or older with early-stage cancer, other groups had reported that it was still being done.
    — Allessandra DiCorato, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The finding prompted auditors to recommend the Legislature clarify remote work policies in state law.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Confide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confide. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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