1
as in to prove
to gain full recognition or acceptance of substantiated his claim to local mountaineering fame with a photo of himself on the summit of Mount McKinley

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
as in to embody
to represent in visible form the artist's intense feelings are substantiated by his paintings' bold colors and broad brush strokes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
5
as in to reinforce
to provide evidence or information for (as a claim or idea) Darwin spent the rest of his life gathering evidence to substantiate his theory of the origin of species

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb substantiate contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of substantiate are authenticate, confirm, corroborate, validate, and verify. While all these words mean "to attest to the truth or validity of something," substantiate implies the offering of evidence that sustains the contention.

the claims have yet to be substantiated

When is authenticate a more appropriate choice than substantiate?

Although the words authenticate and substantiate have much in common, authenticate implies establishing genuineness by adducing legal or official documents or expert opinion.

handwriting experts authenticated the diaries

When might confirm be a better fit than substantiate?

The meanings of confirm and substantiate largely overlap; however, confirm implies the removing of doubts by an authoritative statement or indisputable fact.

confirmed the reports

In what contexts can corroborate take the place of substantiate?

While the synonyms corroborate and substantiate are close in meaning, corroborate suggests the strengthening of what is already partly established.

witnesses corroborated his story

When could validate be used to replace substantiate?

While in some cases nearly identical to substantiate, validate implies establishing validity by authoritative affirmation or by factual proof.

validated the hypothesis by experiments

When would verify be a good substitute for substantiate?

The words verify and substantiate can be used in similar contexts, but 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 substantiate Another veteran officer, Deputy John Gillette. was the subject of 27 complaints in eight years, most of which were never substantiated. Sarah Metz, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2024 At the very least, that historic albeit disheartening move substantiated the power with which the McCaskey family has entrusted Warren and confirmed the authority the second-year president wields in overseeing football operations. Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 30 Nov. 2024 Responding officers reported finding evidence substantiating the shots fired complaint, Wright said. Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 22 Nov. 2024 The spokesperson would not say how many were found to be substantiated, but the department was able to get insurers to address some of the problems, documents obtained through an open records request show. Max Blau, ProPublica, 14 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for substantiate 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for substantiate
Verb
  • December proved to be a fruitful month as the Senate unanimously approved the measure and the House voted 367 to 33, sending the bill to President Biden’s desk.
    Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 24 Dec. 2024
  • And the Saints did nothing during the game to prove anyone wrong.
    The Athletic NFL Staff, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The mortgage stress test allows financial institutions to verify that homebuyers can afford their monthly mortgage payments should the rates increase by 2%.
    Reza Ghazi, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
  • In addition, administration in charge of verifying speakers’ residency can more easily confirm a Tennessee residency over a Davidson specific one.
    Angele Latham, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Braden Mann’s botch of the opening kickoff, Luke McCaffrey’s 47-yard return and Jeremiah Trotter Jr.’s unnecessary roughness penalty embodied the sloppy play that’s recently been awarding opponents advantageous field position.
    The Athletic NFL Staff, The Athletic, 26 Dec. 2024
  • These cities embody the true spirit of Andalusia, with locals whose warmth and hospitality are ready to welcome you with open arms.
    Marco Palermo, Travel + Leisure, 25 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The fall of Assad As opposition forces ousted Assad on Dec. 8, Israeli military forces moved into the Syrian side of the demilitarized buffer zone, established after the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
    Josef Federman, Los Angeles Times, 25 Dec. 2024
  • By focusing on developing robust security measures compatible with quantum computing advancements, startups can establish themselves as leaders in the next generation of cybersecurity.
    Abdo Riani, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • United could also look to reinforce in midfield next year, although the key focus is helping the existing squad adapt to Amorim’s methods.
    Mark Critchley, The Athletic, 26 Dec. 2024
  • Frans Johansson's concept of the Medici Effect further reinforces the idea that breakthrough innovations often arise at the intersection of disparate fields.
    Anna Barnhill, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Having used a $2.9 million grant from ARPA-E to demonstrate proof of concept, Limelight is now planning a pilot-scale plant in 2025 capable of producing 100 tons annually.
    Andrew Rosenblum, Popular Science, 26 Dec. 2024
  • His advisors on immigration now include powerful figures like Musk, who recently demonstrated his newfound influence by blowing up spending negotiations in Congress and nearly causing a government shutdown at Christmas.
    Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Sources meanwhile told Rolling Stone that castings have yet to be confirmed.
    Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 20 Dec. 2024
  • Police declined to give casualty numbers, confirming only a large-scale operation at the market, where people had gathered to celebrate in the days leading up to the Christmas holidays.
    Andrey Sychev and Tanya Wood, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of TIME editors.
    Zachary Loeb / Made by History, TIME, 18 Dec. 2024
  • Likely Topical Areas For Trump And Tech CEOs Data Centers and AI: Each company has expressed public AI aspirations — which will require the expansion of existing data centers and construction of new ones.
    Tor Constantino, MBA, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near substantiate

Cite this Entry

“Substantiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substantiate. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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