corroborate

verb

kə-ˈrä-bə-ˌrāt How to pronounce corroborate (audio)
Definition of corroboratenext
1
as in to confirm
to give evidence or testimony to the truth or factualness of the witnesses corroborated the policeman's testimony

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to reinforce
to provide evidence or information for (as a claim or idea) my personal experience does not corroborate your faith in the essential goodness of people

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb corroborate contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of corroborate are authenticate, confirm, substantiate, validate, and verify. While all these words mean "to attest to the truth or validity of something," corroborate suggests the strengthening of what is already partly established.

witnesses corroborated his story

When is it sensible to use authenticate instead of corroborate?

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

handwriting experts authenticated the diaries

Where would confirm be a reasonable alternative to corroborate?

The synonyms confirm and corroborate are sometimes interchangeable, but confirm implies the removing of doubts by an authoritative statement or indisputable fact.

confirmed the reports

When is substantiate a more appropriate choice than corroborate?

The meanings of substantiate and corroborate largely overlap; however, 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 corroborate?

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

validated the hypothesis by experiments

When could verify be used to replace corroborate?

In some situations, the words verify and corroborate 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

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 corroborate More than 60 of those confessions have since been matched to victims through DNA evidence and corroborating interviews, authorities said. —Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 31 Jan. 2026 So is the neighbor who was pressured by police to corroborate a concocted story. —Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 31 Jan. 2026 Investigators were able to corroborate the account given by witnesses through video, according to police. —Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 30 Jan. 2026 Internal scheduling documents further corroborate the planning. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for corroborate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for corroborate
  1. confirm
  2. reinforce
  3. verify
  4. bolster
  5. argue
  6. prove
Verb
  • Fulton County has also confirmed that some ballots were scanned multiple times during the recount, the affidavit says.
    — Kate Brumback, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Law enforcement has yet to confirm any activity in the Bitcoin account, and USA TODAY has reached out to the FBI for comment.
    — Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
Definition of confirm
Verb
  • The new edition will debut at Cosmoprof Miami in 2026, marking the next release within the Odyssey collection and reinforcing the brand’s ongoing interest in continuity and reinterpretation.
    — Maria Williams, USA Today, 7 Feb. 2026
  • The title is also riding high across South Asia, including chart-topping or near-the-top placement in markets such as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, reinforcing the film’s regional pull beyond its home base.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Feb. 2026
Definition of reinforce
Verb
  • The filing argues that custody is a nonwaivable jurisdictional requirement and that remote court proceedings would raise insurmountable problems, including the inability to verify identities, enforce perjury laws, or protect classified information.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 9 Feb. 2026
  • Some accusations couldn't be verified, investigators wrote.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
Definition of verify
Verb
  • Concerns that technology will replace white-collar workers are bolstering the case for trades and manual labor, which are less exposed to automation (at least until the robots take over).
    — Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Within the retail channel, Asics’ Meatpacking store in NYC remained focused on supporting omnichannel practices, while the brand continued to bolster its consumer loyalty program, OneAsics.
    — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 13 Feb. 2026
Definition of bolster
Verb
  • Proponents of banning firms such as Blackstone from buying single-family homes, many of whom are on the Left and populist Right, argue that those investors are crowding out the market for homebuyers.
    — Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Why pigeons can outperform drones in some missions The startup argued that pigeons offer practical advantages over conventional drones in specific environments.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of argue
Verb
  • But beyond that, unity has proved elusive.
    — JACQUELINE CHARLES MIAMI HERALD, Arkansas Online, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Mike Brown has his chance to prove Dolan and Rose right, and at least take the Knicks one round further than Thibodeau did, when his team never recovered from that crazy shot Tyrese Haliburton made in Game 1 of the conference finals.
    — Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 5 Feb. 2026
Definition of prove

Browse Nearby Words

corrivals
corroborate
corroborated
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Cite this Entry

“Corroborate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/corroborate. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on corroborate

Nglish: Translation of corroborate for Spanish Speakers

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