variants also intrust
Definition of entrustnext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word entrust distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of entrust are commit, confide, consign, and relegate. While all these words mean "to assign to a person or place for a definite purpose," entrust implies committing with trust and confidence.

the president is entrusted with broad powers

When is it sensible to use commit instead of entrust?

The meanings of commit and entrust largely overlap; however, 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

In what contexts can confide take the place of entrust?

In some situations, the words confide and entrust are roughly equivalent. However, confide implies entrusting with great assurance or reliance.

confided complete control of my affairs to my attorney

When can consign be used instead of entrust?

While the synonyms consign and entrust are close in meaning, consign suggests removing from one's control with formality or finality.

consigned the damaging notes to the fire

When is relegate a more appropriate choice than entrust?

The words relegate and entrust can be used in similar contexts, but 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 entrust The host of the massacre is the powerful tycoon Chester Danforth (filmmaker David Cronenberg), a hotel and casino impresario, who entrusts the actual event planning to his adult children, twins Ursula and Titus (Sarah Michelle Gellar and Shawn Hatosy). Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026 The program’s layers of review, which included an assessment by outside experts, were supposed to ensure that service providers like Microsoft could be entrusted with the government’s secrets. Renee Dudley, ProPublica, 18 Mar. 2026 Emma Williams, whose family entrusted the Hallfords to take care of her father's remains in 2022, said Carie Hallford had a choice. ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026 The narrative centers on the mercenary Dao Ma, a wandering bounty hunter who is entrusted to escort a mysterious fugitive across the treacherous Western deserts to the capital of Chang’an. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for entrust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for entrust
Verb
  • In Budapest, they were tasked with creating AI videos and using their existing network of trolls and bots to pass them on.
    Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Instead, the court was tasked with reviewing the materials to determine what, if any, content is relevant to the leak investigation.
    BrieAnna J. Frank, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The group was flown to Poland and transported to the Ukrainian border by US officials who then handed them over to Polish officials who escorted them across the border.
    Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
  • But passengers cannot just hand individual officers cash.
    Emma Hurt, AJC.com, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • This is because American consumers trust the IIHS’s scientific and systematic safety evaluation methods.
    Keith Laing, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
  • For now, channel the ambition, trust the momentum, and know that the slower, more nourishing chapter is coming.
    Kirah Tabourn, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • What happens when a movement built on peace sets off a chain of events that leaves a region fluent only in the language of violence?
    Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
  • Her aunt had resisted leaving the capital for two weeks, but was finally convinced to evacuate.
    Jason Rezaian, New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • After being placed in the trunk of Aaron's car, she was driven for a bit, transferred to the trunk of another car, and driven for hours.
    Lauren Clark, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
  • The maps were never used, because Shakur was transferred from West Virginia to a prison in New Jersey.
    Zayd Ayers Dohrn, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • According to investigators, during the months she was held captive, the teen was barely given food and was forced to use a water jug as a toilet.
    CBS New York Team, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2026
  • The law extended the program for two years, setting the current expiration deadline and giving lawmakers another opportunity to revisit possible reforms.
    Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The other standout was the breakfast basket that gets delivered like clockwork to your room each morning, including fresh pastries, muesli, fruit, yogurt, eggs, coffee, and juice.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Jaime, who had on a yellow reflective vest and a helmet, held up his phone near his supervisor’s and, courtesy of the FarEye app, instantly received the coördinates for the packages—a total of forty-five—he’d be delivering.
    Henry Alford, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The United States has offered Iran a 15-point proposal for a ceasefire that includes it relinquishing control of the strait, but at the same time has ordered thousands more troops to the region — possibly in preparation for a military attempt to wrest the waterway from Iran.
    David Rising, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Bohm’s lawsuit demands at least $3 million in damages and that his parents relinquish control of the accounts.
    Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Entrust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/entrust. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on entrust

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster