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 game warden who conducted my background check confided that the state is so hard up for hunte-ed instructors that hunting experience is no longer a requirement for teaching the class. The Editors, Outdoor Life, 30 Oct. 2025 The investigation began in July 2016, when a church member in whom Taylor confided reported the claims to officials at the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the lawsuit says. Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025 White once confided that just about everyone on the UFC roster wants to get the call for the event, and Buffer echoed those sentiments. Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025 This was caused by the participants feeling unheard and invalidated when confiding their concerns to people who engaged in toxic positivity. Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for confide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confide
Verb
  • This is not a failing of the principles of liberalism, however, but a failure of those entrusted to act in its name.
    Philip Mullins, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Between the river’s source, entrusted to an order of Orthodox nuns, and its southern delta, where caviar bound for the Kremlin is harvested, the author journeys through a defiant country transformed by war, sanctions, and reinvigorated patriotism.
    The New Yorker, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Such vague commands, the court said, leave agents guessing how to respond during fast-moving protest situations and expose them to possible contempt sanctions.
    Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 27 Jan. 2026
  • The auction house leaves behind its more cloistered Madison Avenue home for airy galleries in an 80-foot glass atrium, as well as an opulent neoclassical rotunda in the historic Steinway Hall.
    Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Damascus had asked Beirut to hand them over to continue their prison terms in Syria, but Lebanese judicial officials said Beirut would not release any attackers and that each must be studied and resolved separately.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 31 Jan. 2026
  • The game effectively ended with an infamous play call by then-Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, who opted to have then-quarterback Russell Wilson throw the ball at the one-yard line instead of handing it off to running back Marshawn Lynch.
    Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Six movable struts give the cockpit full freedom of motion.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
  • But Black art is always compared, shared and given a value.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Lebanon OKs Syrian prisoner transfer deal BEIRUT -- Lebanon's Cabinet on Friday approved an agreement to transfer Syrian prisoners serving their sentences in Lebanon back to their home country.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 31 Jan. 2026
  • When you’re finished recording, launch the Plaud app on your phone and the Note Pro connects and automatically begins transferring the file via Bluetooth.
    Dwight Silverman, Houston Chronicle, 31 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Initially, neither party trusts the other, and the surprising but emotionally logical betrayal that prompts the film’s high-stakes climax carries a lovingly sincere intention.
    Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 31 Jan. 2026
  • By trusting your intuition and staying focused on long-term goals, the Rat can navigate uncertainty with confidence, even as the Horse year brings rapid shifts.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Organizational Skepticism Toward Automation Operational teams were cautious about delegating decisions to algorithmic systems.
    Paul Baier, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Previously, a project manager delegated this request to the resource manager, who would spend a week sending emails and Microsoft Team messages across the company to build the group.
    John Kell, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Harvard experts recommend eating more slowly and paying attention to each bite — without distractions like phones or TV — to better recognize fullness cues and avoid overeating.
    Shiv Sudhakar, FOXNews.com, 2 Feb. 2026
  • This is why experts recommend vacuuming in different directions and thoroughly agitating the carpet piles.
    Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Confide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confide. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.

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