Synonym Chooser

How is the word affirm distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of affirm are assert, avow, declare, and protest. While all these words mean "to state positively usually in anticipation of denial or objection," affirm implies conviction based on evidence, experience, or faith.

affirmed the existence of an afterlife

When would assert be a good substitute for affirm?

While in some cases nearly identical to affirm, assert implies stating confidently without need for proof or regard for evidence.

asserted that modern music is just noise

When might avow be a better fit than affirm?

Although the words avow and affirm have much in common, avow stresses frank declaration and acknowledgment of personal responsibility for what is declared.

avowed that all investors would be repaid in full

When can declare be used instead of affirm?

While the synonyms declare and affirm are close in meaning, declare stresses open or public statement.

declared her support for the candidate

When is it sensible to use protest instead of affirm?

The words protest and affirm are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, protest emphasizes affirming in the face of denial or doubt.

protested that he really had been misquoted

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 affirm The Supreme Court has long affirmed that incarceration does not erase constitutional protections. Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025 The Dalai Lama, in turn, affirms the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama after the officeholder dies. Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 12 Mar. 2025 There are plenty of other ways to compliment and affirm people. – Mad Mama Related Articles Asking Eric: Best friend is catastrophizing about everything Asking Eric: Niece’s visit tests generosity Dear Mama: Hear, hear. R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2025 Cautious optimism grew earlier in the week as the twice-daily health updates affirmed that the pope was eating solid food, sitting up in his armchair, and even taking care of simple work tasks from the comfort of his hospital room. Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 1 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for affirm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affirm
Verb
  • Public officials who insisted such efforts were impossible, in an instant, demonstrated that a cleaner, safer city was always within reach.
    Carson Becker, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025
  • The government insisted there was no evidence that the AP had been harmed irreparably.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Emergency declared South Carolina In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency Saturday as part of an effort to stop a blaze in Pickens County called the Table Rock Fire that started the previous day in an area within the Blue Ridge Mountains.
    CBS News, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2025
  • In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency Saturday as part of an effort to stop a blaze in Pickens County called the Table Rock Fire that started the previous day in an area within the Blue Ridge Mountains.
    ASSOCIATED PRESS, TIME, 23 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The union filed charges alleging violations of federal labor law with the NLRB.
    Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2025
  • The Trump administration alleges that Maduro and Cabello are not only complicit in its rise but actively control it through the Soles drug cartel, using the gang as a deadly enforcement squad.
    Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Her attorneys on Friday asked a federal court in Massachusetts to assert jurisdiction over her case, release her on bail as the litigation moves forward and restore her F-1 student visa.
    Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 29 Mar. 2025
  • Related Stories Still, Republicans and some corporations lined up to sue the SEC over the rule as soon as the agency released it, alleging that the agency had gone too far and asserting that the rule is unconstitutional.
    Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Take these steps to claim the best promotion in your state.
    Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2025
  • Then they were targeted by scammers, who claimed they were sent to tow the car.
    Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Intrigue in Read's case has only grown since the mistrial, as she's continued to share her story and proclaim her innocence.
    Rachel Treisman, NPR, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Elk are being depleted by wolves, proclaim the Sportsmen’s Alliance, Safari Club International and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, all of which sued to block ESA protections.
    Ted Williams, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The Athletic maintains full editorial independence.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Viney recounted the stories of Ukrainian refugee students who, through the academy, were able to maintain educational continuity despite the trauma and disruption of displacement.
    Dan Fitzpatrick, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • With an arrangement that feels somewhere between a cruise on the Seine, golden-age Hollywood, and a circus, Gaga professes her purest confession of love.
    Kristen S. Hé, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025
  • In interviews, the director professes his empathy for Mickey but especially for the studio marketing team for memorializing the movie’s accident-prone cast of characters.
    Peter Bart, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Affirm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affirm. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on affirm

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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