Synonym Chooser

How does the verb confirm contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of confirm are authenticate, corroborate, substantiate, validate, and verify. While all these words mean "to attest to the truth or validity of something," confirm implies the removing of doubts by an authoritative statement or indisputable fact.

confirmed the reports

When is authenticate a more appropriate choice than confirm?

While the synonyms authenticate and confirm are close in meaning, authenticate implies establishing genuineness by adducing legal or official documents or expert opinion.

handwriting experts authenticated the diaries

When is it sensible to use corroborate instead of confirm?

While in some cases nearly identical to confirm, corroborate suggests the strengthening of what is already partly established.

witnesses corroborated his story

When could substantiate be used to replace confirm?

The synonyms substantiate and confirm are sometimes interchangeable, but substantiate implies the offering of evidence that sustains the contention.

the claims have yet to be substantiated

In what contexts can validate take the place of confirm?

The meanings of validate and confirm largely overlap; however, validate implies establishing validity by authoritative affirmation or by factual proof.

validated the hypothesis by experiments

When would verify be a good substitute for confirm?

In some situations, the words verify and confirm are roughly equivalent. However, verify implies the establishing of correspondence of actual facts or details with those proposed or guessed at.

all statements of fact in the article have been verified

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 confirm Only Cardiff City had seen relegation to League One confirmed, leaving two spots left to be filled. Nick Miller, New York Times, 3 May 2025 During his 12-minute hearing, Brand confirmed his name and address in court, along with his age, 49, the BBC reported. Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 May 2025 But officials were not able to confirm if a blown tire was at fault for the crash. Ron Wilkins, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025 Listen, many Gomez fans were skeptical when the singer confirmed her relationship with the prolific music producer back in December 2023. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 25 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for confirm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confirm
Verb
  • America, meet the Orb: a bold new attempt to verify you’re not a bot — just by looking you in the eye.
    Jennifer Jolly, USA Today, 2 May 2025
  • Almost 82,000 also provided data from activity trackers that allowed researchers to verify their speed.
    Simon Spichak, Health, 2 May 2025
Verb
  • Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.
    Brian Sloan, CNBC, 12 May 2025
  • The documents alleged that, while the company was being investigated, Lewis had approved a plan that resulted in the deletion of millions of e-mails from News International’s servers.
    Clare Malone, New Yorker, 12 May 2025
Verb
  • Ramaphosa and other defenders of the Expropriation Act have argued that the policies are needed to reverse the nation’s apartheid-era legacy of disparities in land ownership.
    Joey Garrison, USA Today, 11 May 2025
  • The Justice Department had argued that the case should proceed in Louisiana, as that is where Ozturk was confined.
    Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 10 May 2025
Verb
  • Palestine ratified the treaty in 2015, meaning any crimes committed in Palestinian territories could be party to ICC jurisdiction.
    Meredith Kile, People.com, 29 Apr. 2025
  • His last extension wasn’t ratified until Aug. 13, 2020.
    Matt Barrows, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The new procedures for White House review have been in the works for months, but they were just recently finalized and are now in full effect.
    Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 9 May 2025
  • Teyana Taylor and Iman Shumpert may have finalized their divorce, but their legal battles aren’t over yet.
    Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 9 May 2025
Verb
  • Rather than accept those limitations, Dr. Gu decided to build something better.
    William Jones, USA Today, 14 May 2025
  • Schumer’s announcement comes as Trump’s plan to accept the luxury jet to use as Air Force One has drawn strong pushback from Democrats, and even some Republicans, who have raised legal and ethical questions about the move.
    Erin Doherty, CNBC, 13 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Confirm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confirm. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

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