as in supporting
serving to give support to the truth or factualness of something
without some substantiating evidence, such as a stub from a bus ticket, who's going to believe your alibi?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in proving
to gain full recognition or acceptance of
substantiated his claim to local mountaineering fame with a photo of himself on the summit of Mount McKinley
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in verifying
to give evidence or testimony to the truth or factualness of
Mr. MacGregor couldn't substantiate that it was Peter, and not some other rabbit, in the cabbage patch
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3
as in embodying
to represent in visible form
the artist's intense feelings are substantiated by his paintings' bold colors and broad brush strokes
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4
as in establishing
to show the existence or truth of by evidence
substantiate the need for a tuition increase with some concrete figures
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5
as in reinforcing
to provide evidence or information for (as a claim or idea)
Darwin spent the rest of his life gathering evidence to substantiate his theory of the origin of species
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of substantiating
Elliot Raphaelson, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 May 2026
Because pain is so subjective—and because of the difficulty in substantiating conditions such as whiplash and soft-tissue damage—surgery had the benefit not just of running up the clinical expense of an accident but also of seeming to ratify its legitimacy.
—Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Federal officials have declined to provide critical details substantiating their claim that an agent shot ICU nurse Alex Pretti in self-defense.
—Tricia Escobedo, CNN Money, 26 Jan. 2026
Verb
The minimum proof would be a letter from a physician explaining the condition and substantiating the claim.
—Elliot Raphaelson, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 May 2026
Because pain is so subjective—and because of the difficulty in substantiating conditions such as whiplash and soft-tissue damage—surgery had the benefit not just of running up the clinical expense of an accident but also of seeming to ratify its legitimacy.
—Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Federal officials have declined to provide critical details substantiating their claim that an agent shot ICU nurse Alex Pretti in self-defense.
—Tricia Escobedo, CNN Money, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for substantiating
Adjective
-
Some went after Cashman, some after Boone, some after Steinbrenner’s son Hal, and some after Aaron Judge’s non-supporting cast.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Sure, that was exacerbated, and to some degree directly caused, by the ample non-supporting cast around him, especially on the offensive line.—
Vahe Gregorian,
Kansas City Star,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That takes us to Monday afternoon and Jena proving that point by sharing behind-the-scenes content on social media in the form of a bikini parade from this year's fitting.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
-
And as the creator economy continues to grow in reach and profitability, content creators like Logan Walter are fundamentally proving its value.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Southbridge Police Department addressed the viral video in a statement shared on Facebook, without confirming the location where the video was recorded or verifying its authenticity.—
Latoya Gayle,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
-
Others caught on video at the campaign event, who are identified as leaders and lobbyists in the state’s agricultural industry, discuss the proportion of the state’s farmworkers who are undocumented, and employers’ challenges in verifying workers’ legal status.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The central performances are strong, with Brown perfectly embodying a sinister, otherworldly image of masculinity run amok.—
Jourdain Searles,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
-
Bolton has walked 12 batters in 13 ⅔ innings this season, embodying the Houston pitching staff’s walk issues.—
Matt Kawahara,
Houston Chronicle,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
To scale effectively, organizations often benefit from standardizing their foundations by establishing consistent frameworks for data modeling, pipeline design and testing—helping reduce friction while improving delivery velocity.—
Prashanthi Kolluru,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing a strategic public-private partnership.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
In addiction treatment, encouraging emotional attachment to an algorithm risks reinforcing the very patterns of avoidance and substitution that sustain addiction.—
Steve D. Klein,
STAT,
14 May 2026
-
Measures seen as defensive in Tokyo or Manila are invariably interpreted in Beijing as offensive—reinforcing, rather than easing, cycles of suspicion.—
Yu Jie,
Time,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
According to Bette, the current cycle is demonstrating a similar pattern where demand is deferred rather than destroyed.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
-
Over the years, the awards have at once become a snapshot of the most important reporting on the free press while also demonstrating that press’ power; the country’s top journalism institutions are among those typically feted.—
THR Staff,
HollywoodReporter,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Our job isn’t to keep everyone happy by confirming their assumptions.—
Jonathan Zimmerman,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
-
His death was first reported by Rolling Stone, with the magazine confirming the news with Rodney Hall, president of FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and the singer Candi Staton, who is Carter’s ex-wife.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Substantiating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substantiating. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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