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 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 Sue was one of the few people in whom Lindsay confided about her difficulties after Callan’s birth. Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024 For years, her mother had confided to Rothschild worries about her brilliant, hardworking daughter not having the grounding of a family. Nathan Heller, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for confide 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confide
Verb
  • How Creighton handed Kansas a loss Kansas entered Wednesday’s road game against Creighton as the No. 1 team in the nation, and an undefeated one at that.
    Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 5 Dec. 2024
  • Soros recently handed control over his multibillion-dollar Open Society Foundations over to his son, Alex Soros, following the 2022 midterm elections.
    Scott Walter, Baltimore Sun, 5 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The Cleveland Fed’s CPI supports this view and should leave the door open to a 25 basis point cut at the December meeting.
    Bill Stone, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
  • As a result, Hezbollah pulled its forces out of Syria to focus on its war with Israel, leaving Assad exposed, experts said.
    Mostafa Salem, CNN, 7 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • And given its volatility, any government purchases or sales could have an outsized impact on bitcoin's price.
    Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss and Lisa Pauline Mattackal, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2024
  • But when a brand starts to give an e-commerce player 30 to 35 percent of its margin, that e-commerce player cannot be profitable.
    Samantha Conti, WWD, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Hike down a canyon to get to your room (your luggage is transferred on a pulley system), converse with locals under the stars, dine on traditional dishes, and watch the sunset over the rugged mountains.
    Mo Noubani, Travel + Leisure, 12 Dec. 2024
  • But before investigators arrived, the task force transferred all remaining detainees to an island north of Buenos Aires, destroyed the internal staircase and the elevator, and made other structural alterations.
    Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Sources say the players trust more in what is going on now.
    Simon Johnson and Liam Twomey, The Athletic, 13 Dec. 2024
  • Irrevocable trusts, for example, can shield large estates from significant taxes.
    James Brewer, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • On the other hand, the specifically Colombian perspective was entrusted to Laura Mora, known for directing projects such as Pablo Escobar: El patrón del mal and The Kings of the World, a film about young people displaced to the countryside as a result of violence in Medellín.
    Fernanda Pérez Sánchez, Vogue, 14 Dec. 2024
  • Kate Middleton and Prince William and tapped Pilkington as their private photographer for their wedding in 2011, and have entrusted her in the years that followed to take the birthday portraits of their children, Prince George, 11 Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6.
    Janine Henni, People.com, 7 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • On the other hand, leaders who micromanage excessively can create toxic workplaces, because their inability to delegate can reduce efficiency and signal a lack of trust in their employees.
    Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 9 Dec. 2024
  • In the new letter, the coalition proposed that Congress delegate less authority to agencies in future legislation, streamline the procedures that allow lawmakers to overturn federal regulations, increase agency oversight and hearings, and take various other steps.
    Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 3 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Pocket Blanket Mini One SELF editor recommends keeping this mini waterproof blanket on you for spur-of-the-moment outdoor hangs.
    Jessica Kasparian, SELF, 10 Dec. 2024
  • It's also recommended to have at least one other person nearby to keep the ladder steady, hand you items, and call for help in case of an emergency.
    Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near confide

Cite this Entry

“Confide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confide. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on confide

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