1
as in confident
having or showing a mind free from doubt
are you absolutely sure that she said she was coming today?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in necessary
impossible to avoid or evade
the joke's a sure dud if you don't pause in the right places
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in reliable
not likely to fail
a sure cure for the winter blues—a week in the Bahamas
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in true
worthy of one's trust
a sister is a sure friend for life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in conclusive
not capable of being challenged or proved wrong
no sure evidence that life exists on other planets
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in definitely
without any question
we sure could use your help here
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 sure
Ben Smith, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2025
More reasons to say that nothing is for sure.
—Gregory Barber, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Rafael Perez, Oc Register, 17 Sep. 2025
Still, there is something adventurous, even promising, about a new Turkish filmmaker attempting something that feels sure-handedly situated within longstanding cinematic traditions, and doing so with his close circle of friends and family (many of whom are in the cast or have assumed other roles).
—Tomris Laffly, Variety, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sure
Adjective
Each side seemed sure the activist largely agreed with them about the war in Gaza.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2025
More reasons to say that nothing is for sure.
—Gregory Barber, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Adverb
Basking in the darkness of the assassination of political opponents sure sounds worthy of being culturally discouraged, perhaps even with tangible consequences.
—Rafael Perez, Oc Register, 17 Sep. 2025
Still, there is something adventurous, even promising, about a new Turkish filmmaker attempting something that feels sure-handedly situated within longstanding cinematic traditions, and doing so with his close circle of friends and family (many of whom are in the cast or have assumed other roles).
—Tomris Laffly, Variety, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sure
Adjective
-
That’s more than a factor of three in improvement of the signal strength over just 10 years, which enables a much more confident and robust extraction of the key parameters and properties associated with this merger.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
17 Sep. 2025
-
But Canalys isn’t confident about the demand materializing at retail stores and websites.—
Senior Reporter,
PC Magazine,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The proclamation, which came into effect on Sunday, requires companies to pay the new six-figure fee to obtain the visas necessary for new employees entering the country.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
22 Sep. 2025
-
There is no question that Green Bay has the talent necessary to win at a high level.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The strategy was stress-tested against historical market downturns and became a reliable benchmark for retirees looking to stretch savings across three decades.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Dell has crafted a reliable everyday machine out of the 16 Plus.—
Charles Jefferies,
PC Magazine,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Slater’s first blast of the evening was a true wall-scraper in the top of the third, barely clearing the center-field fence to give the Giants an early 1-0 lead.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
20 Sep. 2025
-
And remember, the point spread is designed to divide the wagers evenly, not be a true indicator of value.—
Jack Magruder,
Forbes.com,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The team can't yet say anything conclusive yet about the Neptunian desert, its neighboring regions, or planetary evolution in general.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
The center said over the summer that the law enforcement investigation into the abandonment stalled, and a review of surveillance cameras turned up nothing conclusive.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Most bands’ B-sides were random live tracks, extraneous remixes, or goofing off in the studio — and Oasis did engage in a bit of that — but Oasis also famously burned off a number of instant classics as B-sides as if to prove this band was definitely no flash in the pan.—
Jesse Adams,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Somewhat in 2020, definitely in 2024.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Unlike conventional nylon, these fibers are biodegradable under certain conditions, yet remain durable, silky-soft.—
Dianne Plummer,
Forbes.com,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Part of a software update, advertisements will appear on certain refrigerator cover screens when the Family Hub fridge is idle.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Yes, there is naivety to his play at times — that is inevitable for one so young, and was evident again when he was booked for a dive just before the interval.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
22 Sep. 2025
-
Intel’s decline wasn’t inevitable.—
Andrew King,
Fortune,
20 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sure. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share