Synonym Chooser

How is the word confide distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of confide are commit, consign, entrust, and relegate. While all these words mean "to assign to a person or place for a definite purpose," confide implies entrusting with great assurance or reliance.

confided complete control of my affairs to my attorney

When is commit a more appropriate choice than confide?

While in some cases nearly identical to confide, commit may express the general idea of delivering into another's charge or the special sense of transferring to a superior power or to a special place of custody.

committed the felon to prison

When could consign be used to replace confide?

While the synonyms consign and confide are close in meaning, consign suggests removing from one's control with formality or finality.

consigned the damaging notes to the fire

Where would entrust be a reasonable alternative to confide?

In some situations, the words entrust and confide are roughly equivalent. However, entrust implies committing with trust and confidence.

the president is entrusted with broad powers

When would relegate be a good substitute for confide?

The words relegate and confide are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, relegate implies a consigning to a particular class or sphere often with a suggestion of getting rid of.

relegated to an obscure position in the company

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 confide In the preceding months, the teenager had reportedly become emotionally attached to the chatbot, confiding his most private thoughts in it. Rashi Shrivastava, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024 Over tea with Zoe, Cheryl confides that much of her life has been spent, well, in the dark. Sarene Leeds, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2024 Thimig then confided to Lothar that the Alpine farmer was Reuss. Tomas Weber, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024 There's all the usual romantic comedy the show is known for, too, with Mindy confiding her feelings for Josh to her ex, Tom (Bill Hader). Nicole Briese, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for confide 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confide
Verb
  • Last summer, at the time a photo of Lionel Messi blessing him at barely six months old resurfaced and went viral, Lamine won the Euros with La Roja in Germany ahead of being handed the Golden Boy gong by Tutto Sport and the Kopa Trophy at the Ballon d'Or ceremony.
    Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
  • The Creole restaurant was handed a yellow placard for several health code violations.
    Camila Pedrosa, Sacramento Bee, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • With a few weeks left in winter, go ahead and grab this coat starting from $16 in select sizes, and keep scrolling to see more jacket deals at Walmart.
    Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 18 Jan. 2025
  • But with 3½ days left in office, Biden renewed attention for a century-old fight that energized generations of women.
    Mike Allen, Axios, 18 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • His son, who had drifted away from art, was given the chance to complete it. 10 Best Books of 2024: The staff of The New York Times Book Review has chosen the year’s top fiction and nonfiction.
    Sadie Stein, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2025
  • There are gold pulls that make the piece look luxe, a flat bottom construction that increases stability and gives it a clean look, and fluted wood on the front for a mid-century modern-inspired design.
    Shea Simmons, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • His remains were transferred to a hearse for a motorcade in preparation for his final drive to his beloved hometown.
    Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 10 Jan. 2025
  • When your ice cream is ready, just lift the lid off and transfer to a storage container.
    Alaina Chou, Bon Appétit, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Good journalism offers a way through, but only if readers are willing to follow: trust and naïveté can feel uncomfortably close.
    Fergus McIntosh, The New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2025
  • Set clear goals, then trust them to take it from there.
    Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Jeffrey Zupan, at the time a senior fellow at the Regional Plan Association, was entrusted with collecting data on how electronic tolling was working out.
    Ginia Bellafante, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
  • Hired as Trump's special counsel in 2007, he was quickly entrusted with sensitive tasks ranging from negotiating vendor disputes to burying stories that might tarnish Trump's public image.
    Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • So Carter delegated her operations team and transformed Set’s Beverly Hills HQ into a donation centre.
    Christina Binkley, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2025
  • Presidents exercise limitless legislative power delegated by Congress to issue regulations or proclaim national emergencies as routinely as the rising and setting of the sun.
    Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The State Elections Enforcement Commission spent roughly three months investigating those allegations before deciding Tuesday there is enough evidence to recommend Castillo for criminal charges.
    Andrew Brown, Hartford Courant, 9 Jan. 2025
  • The United States Department of Agriculture recommends packing enough water and food for two to three days. 5.
    Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near confide

Cite this Entry

“Confide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confide. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on confide

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