1
as in confident
having or showing a mind free from doubt
are you absolutely sure that she said she was coming today?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in necessary
impossible to avoid or evade
the joke's a sure dud if you don't pause in the right places
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in reliable
not likely to fail
a sure cure for the winter blues—a week in the Bahamas
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in true
worthy of one's trust
a sister is a sure friend for life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in conclusive
not capable of being challenged or proved wrong
no sure evidence that life exists on other planets
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in definitely
without any question
we sure could use your help here
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 sure
Karon Warren, AJC.com, 11 June 2026
Just be sure to plant it in well-draining loamy or sandy soil in a location that receives 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 11 June 2026
Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 10 June 2026
The stars sure seem to hope so.
—Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for sure
Adjective
Your doctor or other healthcare provider may have options to negotiate your bill, so be sure to ask.
—Karon Warren, AJC.com, 11 June 2026
Just be sure to plant it in well-draining loamy or sandy soil in a location that receives 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 11 June 2026
Adverb
There sure doesn’t seem to be a lot of gathering spots where local Francophiles can enjoy the game.
—Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 10 June 2026
The stars sure seem to hope so.
—Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for sure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sure
Adjective
-
Rangel, who was 10 years old when Mexico tied South Africa in the opening match of the 2010 World Cup and who fondly remembers El Tri’s victory over France that tournament, is confident between the posts.—
Eduard Cauich,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
-
Schaeffer, however, is confident that change is on the way.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Under federal law, if a doctor says a treatment is medically necessary but an insurer still denies it, requesting an external review sends the case to an independent panel, which assigns it to a doctor to review the claim and issue a binding decision.—
Vicky Nguyen,
NBC news,
11 Dec. 2025
-
For those in support, mid-decade redistricting was seen as necessary to combat moves by Democratic states to gerrymander more left-leaning districts.—
Kayla Dwyer,
IndyStar,
11 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
China, by contrast, now leads production for 30 of the 44 critical minerals for which there are reliable estimates, commands an average market share of over 70% for strategic minerals, and accounts for 93% of magnet manufacturing.—
Jared Cohen,
Time,
15 June 2026
-
The habits already known to support blood and skin health, sleep, nutrition, sun protection, not smoking and managing inflammation, remain the most reliable tools available right now.—
Allison Palmer,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Any young actor in this business knows the hardest part is just getting in the door — actually, that’s not true, the hardest part is sustaining a long career.—
Scott Feinberg,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
-
This is certainly true—and a rather banal truism.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
However, a three-judge panel selected by the executive committee for a legal assessment of the findings found that the investigation was not conclusive enough.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
Lemongrass May Have Blood Pressure-Lowering Effects Though far from conclusive, there is scant evidence that lemongrass may exert beneficial effects on your blood pressure.—
MD Published,
Verywell Health,
6 June 2026
Adverb
-
While women’s hockey is full of real-life sapphic relationships, which should definitely get the television treatment, the same cannot be said of men’s hockey (at least publicly!—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
11 Dec. 2025
-
Those are definitely going to happen.—
Brittany Talarico,
PEOPLE,
11 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Advertisement Still, both sides have toughened their positions on certain key issues.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
7 July 2025
-
Though both are nutritious, spinach beats out kale in many categories, including vitamin and mineral content and levels of certain antioxidants.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
7 July 2025
Adjective
-
Swift then promised to appear on his inevitable podcast.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
11 Dec. 2025
-
The key pubs—The Matchmaker Bar, The Ritz, and The Roadside Tavern—are just steps from each other, so rubbing shoulders with other singles is inevitable.—
Bernadette Keith,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sure. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
