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 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 Patriarch George confides to his descendants in a personal realization about his lengthy time on Fremont Ave. Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 9 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for confide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confide
Verb
  • Foreign leaders continue debating who should be entrusted to rebuild Gaza, as though Palestinians will not reclaim freedom with our own hands and rebuild it ourselves.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Nonprofit leaders are entrusted with missions, resources, sensitive information and decisions that can directly affect communities.
    Ekramy El Zaghat, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • To do so means leaving behind a life that job-seekers spend months, if not years, navigating administrative hurdles to attain.
    Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Marlins closer Pete Fairbanks started the ninth, but walked leadoff hitter Gabriel Moreno and threw one pitch to Geraldo Perdomo before leaving with an apparent injury.
    ABC News, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The European Commission’s requirement of a 40% reduction in emissions from new heavy-duty vehicles by 2030 also risks handing Chinese manufacturers an opening, according to Daniela Costa, Goldman Sachs’ head of European capital goods research.
    Sam Forsdick, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Plates and cake forks were distributed by a young waitress also borrowed from Lyons, from the Corner House on Coventry Street, who cut the cakes and handed round slices to the judges.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Neither Moscow nor Kyiv give regular updates on their battlefield losses.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
  • Our affiliates in Texas would have to give equal time to as many candidates as there are on the ballot, and there’s about 10 candidates on the ballot.
    Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • In the event of an incident, the current system requires a medical team to reach the driver after an incident, make an assessment and then transfer him to the medical center.
    Patrick Iversen, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • So the little zip zip of the print head inside is actually heating up the dye ribbon in the cartridge and transferring over a layer of color at a time.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Counsell brought in Webb for the seventh inning, trusting a reliever who produced a 24-game scoreless streak and stabilized the bullpen this summer.
    Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • But trusting audiences to detect modern parallels on their own might be an even more powerful strategy these days.
    Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Democratic lawmakers have expressed concerns about approving the legislation that would delegate authority on digital assets between the two agencies while missing commissioners.
    Davis Giangiulio,Justin Papp, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
  • That capability cannot be delegated to a committee charter, however well drafted.
    Amer Al Ahbabi, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Maris Kreizman recommends 14 nonfiction titles to look forward to in the remainder of 2026.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles on Monday voted against commuting Norman’s sentence to a lesser penalty or recommending a 90-day reprieve of execution.
    ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Confide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confide. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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