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 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 Celebrity esthetician Joanna Czech has confided her fandom to Vogue. Kiana Murden, Vogue, 20 Jan. 2025 While there, Harper overhears crucial news in the bathroom, where Sweet Pea is confiding to Yasmin that her web of new grad connections throughout the bank has led her to believe that Pierpoint has taken an outsized bet on ESG funds. Nina Li Coomes, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2024 Earlier in 2024, a teenager in Florida was an avid user of roleplaying chatbots and confided thoughts of self-harm to the AI before his suicide, according to reporting from The New York Times. Reece Rogers, WIRED, 11 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for confide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confide
Verb
  • Now, she's being handed the reins to replace the network's biggest star amid dangerous political territory for Democrats, who lack majorities in both chambers of Congress and have faced an identity crisis since November, when former Vice President Kamala Harris lost to Trump.
    Jay Stahl, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Their future is handed to a judge with limited time, minimal context and little understanding of their family, finances or goals.
    David Centeno, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Prosecutors accused Read of striking O’Keefe with her SUV then leaving him to die in the snow.
    Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Prosecutors said that Mendoza had abducted Tolleson from her home in north Texas, leaving behind her six-month-old daughter, who was found unharmed by Tolleson's mother the following day.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Despite that, a growing number of companies do so voluntarily because the information gives them a leg up in the business world.
    Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025
  • The federal government gives nothing for day-to-day operations, but the MTA does receive more than $2 billion annually for capital improvements, primarily for repair work to keep the system functional and safe.
    Brian Fritsch, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • According to her declaration, on March 2, roughly five days after Gonçalves was flown to Guantánamo, ICE transferred her again to an ICE facility in Pine Prairie, Louisiana, where she was held in isolation.
    Samantha Riedel, Them., 30 Apr. 2025
  • The first two years of the suspension, Baffert transferred his most promising horses to Tim Yakteen, his former assistant.
    John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Things might heat up for you mid-month when Jupiter in Gemini squares the North Node in Pisces on May 18, echoing themes that began back in December 2024 around expansion, fate, and trusting your life’s direction.
    Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 May 2025
  • With these, developers can decide how trusted the device is that’s running their app.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Why should the state be held to a lesser standard than private institutions or organizations, especially when some of the state’s most vulnerable children were entrusted to the state’s care for guidance, treatment and rehabilitation?
    Diana Philip, Baltimore Sun, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Police released a photo of this caiman pictured in a makeshift tank, and entrusted the animal to the RSPCA, Britain’s largest animal welfare charity.
    Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • May is the time to invest wisely, delegate responsibly, and set the foundations of your kingdom.
    Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 May 2025
  • There are those who can't cooperate with others or can't delegate.
    Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • In addition, Drake recommends mixing both simple and luxe fabrics, like linen and velvet.
    Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Apr. 2025
  • The city staff also is recommending an increase of $406,247 to the police general fund budget for fiscal year 2025-26 to support overtime costs associated with operating the first-responder drone and the real-time crime center.
    Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Confide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confide. Accessed 4 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on confide

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!