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 No bombs threats, no shooting and shouting, but a tender moment at Stabler's late wife's grave, in which the infamous tough guy tenderly confides his excitement that their son Eli (Nicky Torchia) will soon become a father. EW.com, 26 Feb. 2025 Over the years, actors have confided that preparing to play Hamlet is like training for the Olympics. Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2025 So his warm, garrulous letters to her must have been hugely flattering, as if a reporter today received a string of confiding e-mails from Bruce Springsteen. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025 One of the people in whom Palmer confided about her marital issues at the time was Caroline, a potter who, along with her builder husband, Phillip, had been living on the Woodstock property and working as a caretaker. Lila Shapiro, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for confide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confide
Verb
  • Why did Haaland hand the ball over to Omar Marmoush?
    Sam Lee, New York Times, 18 May 2025
  • Clean energy investment was worth $2.1 trillion in 2024, and while America’s clean energy economy has boomed since 2022, ceding this economic opportunity by killing off a fast-growing industry will hand that investment and jobs growth to competitors like China and the European Union.
    Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025
Verb
  • The aspirational numbers are dazzling but many details are undefined, with much left to be decided down the road in a world fraught with geopolitical and economic impediments.
    David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025
  • Back in 2023, The Sun claimed that Brown left the U.K. after his tour instead of meeting with police about the nightclub incident.
    Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 18 May 2025
Verb
  • What’s the Takeaway for People With Heart Failure? Experiencing issues with planning and thinking can be especially problematic for people with heart failure, given the complex self-care required to manage the condition.
    Kaitlin Sullivan, Health, 16 May 2025
  • Each team is given an equal budget and must strategically acquire the most valuable prizes, all while aiming to reach the final round and claim the grand prize.
    Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 15 May 2025
Verb
  • The Department of Agriculture’s Poultry and Animal Health then stepped in and transferred the chicks to the First State Animal Center and SPCA.
    Saleen Martin, USA Today, 24 May 2025
  • But then officials said the baby had been sent to the local civil-affairs office, which had transferred her to an orphanage.
    Barbara Demick, New Yorker, 23 May 2025
Verb
  • Just before Crespi players went to hit in the bottom of the seventh, catcher Landon Hodge gathered his teammates in the dugout and reminded them to trust one another.
    Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2025
  • And when voters who don’t trust City Hall rejected a 1 percentage point sales-tax increase in November.
    U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May 2025
Verb
  • America’s military strength has always rested not just on its weapons and technology, but on the leadership of the men and women entrusted to employ them wisely.
    David A. Deptula, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
  • Potential jurors shuffled into a Manhattan courtroom on a gray Monday in New York City as lawyers for both sides prepared to winnow down the class of people who will be entrusted with the fate of one of the biggest names in music.
    Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 6 May 2025
Verb
  • These individuals typically struggle to delegate or seek support, which can result in a profound sense of isolation.
    Lisa Bodell, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
  • The tasks of the two groups will be delegated to the new commission.
    Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 21 May 2025
Verb
  • It‘s recommended that adults get 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night for optimal brain health, and to go to bed and wake up around the same time each day.
    Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 21 May 2025
  • All the iced tea pitchers on our list are dishwasher safe, but many require top rack loading or recommend hand washing.
    Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 21 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Confide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confide. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

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