as in to grant
formal + old-fashioned
to give (something) to someone as a promise or a privilege
He vouchsafed the secret to only a few chosen disciples.
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Recent Examples of vouchsafe
In a country created to vouchsafe the safety and liberty of a people persecuted for centuries, the security collapse remains a source of trauma and shame.
—
David Remnick, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
Democracy is a fragile achievement, a perpetual work in progress, not the sort of thing that can be vouchsafed by a trend line — and certainly not the sort of thing that technology automatically generates.
—Becca Rothfeld, Washington Post, 26 June 2024
That’s why Phony Wars speaks to us in codes, an artist vouchsafing his feelings and intentions.
—Armond White, National Review, 29 Sep. 2023
Consider a test-tube example, almost ordered up to make the court’s case for it, vouchsafed by California just a few weeks ago.
—Holman W. Jenkins, WSJ, 6 July 2018
David Remnick, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
Democracy is a fragile achievement, a perpetual work in progress, not the sort of thing that can be vouchsafed by a trend line — and certainly not the sort of thing that technology automatically generates.
—Becca Rothfeld, Washington Post, 26 June 2024
That’s why Phony Wars speaks to us in codes, an artist vouchsafing his feelings and intentions.
—Armond White, National Review, 29 Sep. 2023
Consider a test-tube example, almost ordered up to make the court’s case for it, vouchsafed by California just a few weeks ago.
—Holman W. Jenkins, WSJ, 6 July 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vouchsafe
Verb
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DeepSeek, Alibaba, and other Chinese tech giants ByteDance and Tencent have been granted conditional approvals by Beijing to purchase a certain amount of H200s, Reuters reported last month, citing anonymous sources.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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The blow was particularly devastating because the show has no big investors or grant financing, Smook said.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Known for combining high fashion with streetwear, Bad Bunny has a reputation for adventurous and subversive style.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
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Judges in counties with the program have a list of OFR attorneys who can be contacted and paid through legislative appropriations, rather than through court funds.—
Raynee Howell,
Oklahoma Watch,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The office had planned to redirect the $30,000 to fund other grant priorities, which is permitted under its agreement with the FMCSA, Burnham said.—
Talia Soglin,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
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The Pima County Sheriff’s Office is the primary investigative agency in the search for Nancy Guthrie, with the FBI only permitted to take part if requested by local officials.—
Michael Ruiz , Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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His hybrid was designed to preserve the elegance and smooth operation of electric motors while conceding the practical power and range that fuel offered.—
Bill Gourgey,
Popular Science,
5 Feb. 2026
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Going into Wednesday’s games, the Lakers rank 27th in opposing field goal percentage and 24th in defensive rating, an estimate of the amount of points a team concedes across a 100-possession span.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Many legal cannabis ventures enrich hedge funds and politicians, and relatively few benefits accrue to the people who suffered jail time or worse when the drug was criminalized in every state.—
Ezra Marcus,
Vulture,
11 Feb. 2026
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Follow along for live updates The 35-year-old snowboard cross specialist suffered a serious fall at training on Monday and reported worsening neck pain on Tuesday.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vouchsafe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vouchsafe. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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