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
1
as in certainty
a state of mind in which one is free from doubt
unfortunately, he lacked the sureness of his opponent in the tennis match
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in reliability
worthiness as the recipient of another's trust or confidence
investors in those risky foreign enterprises were gambling on the sureness of their instincts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Alex Gurley, People.com, 23 May 2025
To know for sure, businesses could consider conducting periodic surveys of employees and executives.
—Edward Segal, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
Lest anyone think that this is not a deliberate homage to the legend of rock pyromaniac Jerry Lee Lewis, the singer let out what sure sounded like a couple of wildcat Jerry Lee trills.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sure
Adjective
Exactly what transpired next is not known for sure, but by the early hours of May 23, McMorrow had been fatally stabbed over 30 times, his body gutted and floating in the Central Park lake.
—Alex Gurley, People.com, 23 May 2025
To know for sure, businesses could consider conducting periodic surveys of employees and executives.
—Edward Segal, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Adverb
There’s no telling if ARC will for sure be a hit or if Marathon will for sure be a failure.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
Lest anyone think that this is not a deliberate homage to the legend of rock pyromaniac Jerry Lee Lewis, the singer let out what sure sounded like a couple of wildcat Jerry Lee trills.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sure
Adjective
-
But negative feelings are running high across all sectors; the most confident sector in April was construction, and that was down nearly 4 points from January.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
-
Battled-hardened and confident from winning the Premier League, and on the verge of a ludicrously successful transfer window.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
Adjective
-
According to Alvarez, the owners cited financial struggles for why closing was necessary.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
31 May 2025
-
More long-term and larger studies are necessary to conclude whether intermittent fasting is beneficial for other aspects of health.—
Sohaib Imtiaz,
Verywell Health,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
The problem with inland water Environmental scientists have a reliable way of monitoring the water quality at popular coastal beaches, often by taking samples on a daily or weekly basis.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
23 May 2025
-
To be fair to les frères Dardennes, there is a reliable level of unshowy competence as well as an integrity to their insistence on embedding with unglamorous, recognizable people.—
Sophie Monks Kaufman,
IndieWire,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
The formula for ‘true tackles’ is slightly more long-winded: tackles + challenges lost + fouls committed.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
-
Looking back more than six decades, it’s generally agreed by automotive historians that the 1964 Pontiac GTO was the first true muscle car.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
27 May 2025
Adjective
-
While another research review published this year in Nutrients says the research for athletic benefits in women isn’t yet conclusive, there are also reasons to suspect women may benefit from creatine at least as much as men, if not more, both inside and outside the gym, Dr. Smith-Ryan says.—
Cindy Kuzma,
SELF,
28 May 2025
-
Though home blood pressure monitors are effective, a healthcare provider can provide more accurate and conclusive results.—
Mark Gurarie,
Verywell Health,
27 May 2025
Adverb
-
The smoot framerate, excellent resolution, variety of play styles, amount of content, and new game modes definitely place this in the top tier of third-party games available.—
David Jagneaux,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
-
That’s definitely on that same river of where those players are coming from.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
27 May 2025
Noun
-
This unexpected approach builds resilience for complex, subjective tasks where certainty isn’t always possible. - Jagadish Gokavarapu, Wissen Infotech 17.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
-
As of now, there is no certainty about what will happen to him or the rest of the detainees in the Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot) prison.—
Uriel Blanco,
CNN Money,
28 May 2025
Noun
-
In units where reliability is the most important, for example, consider keeping power centralized.—
Stephanie Dillon,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
-
Newsom has said the tunnel project is vital to improving the reliability of water deliveries as climate change shrinks California’s snowpack and alters the timing of runoff.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sure. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share