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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

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sure

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adverb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective sure contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of sure are certain, cocksure, and positive. While all these words mean "having no doubt or uncertainty," sure usually stresses the subjective or intuitive feeling of assurance.

felt sure that I had forgotten something

When is certain a more appropriate choice than sure?

In some situations, the words certain and sure are roughly equivalent. However, certain may apply to a basing of a conclusion or conviction on definite grounds or indubitable evidence.

police are certain about the cause of the fire

When would cocksure be a good substitute for sure?

The words cocksure and sure can be used in similar contexts, but cocksure implies presumptuous or careless positiveness.

you're always so cocksure about everything

Where would positive be a reasonable alternative to sure?

The synonyms positive and sure are sometimes interchangeable, but positive intensifies sureness or certainty and may imply opinionated conviction or forceful expression of it.

I'm positive that's the person I saw

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
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
  • The big story Just a week after a breakthrough in U.S.-China trade tensions, neither side can yet be confident that the other is holding up their end of the bargain.
    Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 21 May 2025
  • The club, for their part, are confident they will be granted entry.
    Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 21 May 2025
Adjective
  • Constant vigilance is necessary because drownings can happen within minutes, and young children especially can wander off or duck out of sight quickly.
    Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 20 May 2025
  • This might mean caps on unlimited PTO during certain times of year, or that advance approval is necessary.
    Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Travel + Leisure, 19 May 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
Adjective
  • The formula for ‘true tackles’ is slightly more long-winded: tackles + challenges lost + fouls committed.
    Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 28 May 2025
  • But these mitigation efforts are, at best, half-measures, not true adaptation.
    Edmund Zagorin, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Adjective
  • Perhaps the most conclusive evidence assembled has been the 800 page report and interactive digital platform by experts at Forensic Architecture.
    Zac Ntim, Deadline, 15 May 2025
  • The filmmakers are never conclusive about Enzo’s burgeoning sexuality nor his plans for the future, and that’s clearly by design.
    Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 14 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
Adjective
  • What is Valley fever? Valley fever is a lung infection caused by breathing in spores from Coccidioides, a fungus that lives in the soil and dust in certain regions of the United States and the world, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
    Terry Collins, USA Today, 17 May 2025
  • However, while certain trends like being compliant with privacy regulations are a must to follow, the choice of others should depend on your goals and target audience.
    Roman Vrublivskyi, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
Adjective
  • When a streaming service pays a premium up front but keeps all future revenue, writers lose the financial upside that once sustained careers through inevitable dry spells.
    JD Barker, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2025
  • The generative AI boom in healthcare feels inevitable.
    Amber Nigam, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sure. Accessed 30 May. 2025.

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