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 At a recent legacy nonprofit gala, a colleague confided that the event was the same thing—and the same people—year after year. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for confide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confide
Verb
  • The cost of a banking crisis For Paraguay, the immediate challenge is restoring access to savings and payments for customers who entrusted their money to Ueno.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2026
  • The alleged conduct of a senior solider, entrusted with sensitive information, is a sobering reminder that insider threats are real and persistent.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 11 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Mercury retrograde in Scorpio leaves room for private reflection, too.
    — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Pike, 50, survived two doses of pentobarbital in September, which her attorneys say probably did not enter her bloodstream correctly and instead pooled in her arms, leaving them burned and blistered.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 11 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Russell Brand’s Trial Brand, once one of Britain's most ​high-profile broadcasters, was handed his jail sentence at Southwark Crown Court in London on Monday.
    — Oliver Trapnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Israeli President Isaac Herzog handed Netanyahu’s rival Gadi Eisenkot the chance to form the country’s next government.
    — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 10 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Joji Waites, director of flight safety, policy and regulation at the British Air Line Pilots Association, said airline assessors grade a threat as red, amber or green, but that an amber verdict would never be given if the plane is airborne.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Wiles gave Trump her resignation Thursday night, a person familiar with the events told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity to describe the private conversation.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • The stacks sit close to a processor and use a wide interface to transfer many bits in parallel.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026
  • She was then placed in one car and later transferred to another, Toczylowski said.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • The former general reiterated on Tuesday that his goal was a government that all Israelis could trust, not one that represents only certain factions.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Nov. 2026
  • MDCalc, a medical reference tool site, on Wednesday launched CrossCover, a tool the company said is meant to help clinicians trust the answers of medical artificial intelligence chatbots while preserving patient and provider privacy.
    — Brittany Trang, STAT, 11 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Many enterprises are delegating decision making and execution authority to software, subject to explicit boundaries and oversight.
    — Lakshmanan Alagappan, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • After the Dodgers were eliminated from the postseason, continuing to delegate contract discussions to Scott also allowed Bates to focus on his family, which was especially important in the wake of a family member falling very ill.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Howard County officials are recommending major changes to how police and emergency responders handle mental health and disability-related crises following the deadly police shooting of a 25-year-old man with autism.
    — CBS Baltimore, CBS News, 11 Nov. 2026
  • The board also recommended that commissioners ban the sale of rabbits in an effort to reduce the number of unwanted pets dropped off at shelters.
    — Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Nov. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Confide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confide. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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