Synonym Chooser

How does the verb confirm contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of confirm are authenticate, corroborate, substantiate, validate, and verify. While all these words mean "to attest to the truth or validity of something," confirm implies the removing of doubts by an authoritative statement or indisputable fact.

confirmed the reports

When is authenticate a more appropriate choice than confirm?

While the synonyms authenticate and confirm are close in meaning, authenticate implies establishing genuineness by adducing legal or official documents or expert opinion.

handwriting experts authenticated the diaries

When is it sensible to use corroborate instead of confirm?

While in some cases nearly identical to confirm, corroborate suggests the strengthening of what is already partly established.

witnesses corroborated his story

When could substantiate be used to replace confirm?

The synonyms substantiate and confirm are sometimes interchangeable, but substantiate implies the offering of evidence that sustains the contention.

the claims have yet to be substantiated

In what contexts can validate take the place of confirm?

The meanings of validate and confirm largely overlap; however, validate implies establishing validity by authoritative affirmation or by factual proof.

validated the hypothesis by experiments

When would verify be a good substitute for confirm?

In some situations, the words verify and confirm are roughly equivalent. However, verify implies the establishing of correspondence of actual facts or details with those proposed or guessed at.

all statements of fact in the article have been verified

Examples 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 confirm Acosta’s death was confirmed by her sister, Katyan, who shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram over the weekend. Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 7 Jan. 2025 Kraft fired coach Jerod Mayo after one season, and rookie GM Eliot Wolf’s exact role hasn’t been confirmed. Tim Graham, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025 On Sunday, Ukrainian and Russian officials confirmed that Kyiv had launched a fresh offensive in Kursk, with fierce fighting reported in several villages. David Brennan, ABC News, 7 Jan. 2025 These more recent burials confirmed Saqqara was used as a cemetery for over a millennium. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for confirm 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confirm
Verb
  • Our review process verifies the availability and responsiveness of help desks on the online casino sites.
    Matthew Gover, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2025
  • Beneficiaries don't need to take any action to receive the enhanced payments other than verifying that the agency has their current mailing address and direct deposit information.
    Kate Gibson, CBS News, 6 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Father Missing a Limb and Son with Cerebral Palsy Weren't Able to Evacuate L.A. Fires in Time, Family Says CNN reported that the family applied for assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency which was not approved.
    Escher Walcott, People.com, 12 Jan. 2025
  • The City Council will vote Tuesday to approve the salary and terms of Milstein’s contract which will authorize her to oversee thousands of city employees and a $1.5 billion budget.
    Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 12 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • TikTok argues that shutting down the media platform violates the free speech of the U.S. operation and the millions of Americans who use it daily, says NPR's Bobby Allyn.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 10 Jan. 2025
  • TikTok fought in court, arguing the ban infringes on the company’s First Amendment rights, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit denied its petition to review the law and upheld the ban in December.
    Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty was ratified in the Senate, 93 votes to 5.
    Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
  • With 32 million copies sold worldwide by the end of 1983, Thriller became the best-selling album of all time, and was ratified by Guinness World Records on Feb. 7, 1984.
    Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 4 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Their divorce was finalized in 2022, but Clarkson had to pay Blackstock, 47, a monthly spousal support of $115,000 until January 2024.
    Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
  • Those pay hikes — four years of raises and an array of other financial incentives — were not finalized until several months after her budget went into effect.
    David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Research suggests that validation helps people feel understood and accepted, and can even defuse intense emotions.
    Angela Haupt, TIME, 13 Jan. 2025
  • For example, an iPhone user may be asked to reply yes (Y) or no (N) to accept a delivery.
    Kate O'Flaherty, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near confirm

Cite this Entry

“Confirm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confirm. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

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