1
as in to prove
to gain full recognition or acceptance of substantiated his claim to local mountaineering fame with a photo of himself on the summit of Mount McKinley

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
as in to embody
to represent in visible form the artist's intense feelings are substantiated by his paintings' bold colors and broad brush strokes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
5
as in to reinforce
to provide evidence or information for (as a claim or idea) Darwin spent the rest of his life gathering evidence to substantiate his theory of the origin of species

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb substantiate contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of substantiate are authenticate, confirm, corroborate, validate, and verify. While all these words mean "to attest to the truth or validity of something," substantiate implies the offering of evidence that sustains the contention.

the claims have yet to be substantiated

When is authenticate a more appropriate choice than substantiate?

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

handwriting experts authenticated the diaries

When might confirm be a better fit than substantiate?

The meanings of confirm and substantiate largely overlap; however, confirm implies the removing of doubts by an authoritative statement or indisputable fact.

confirmed the reports

In what contexts can corroborate take the place of substantiate?

While the synonyms corroborate and substantiate are close in meaning, corroborate suggests the strengthening of what is already partly established.

witnesses corroborated his story

When could validate be used to replace substantiate?

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

validated the hypothesis by experiments

When would verify be a good substitute for substantiate?

The words verify and substantiate can be used in similar contexts, but 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

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 substantiate Melly also faces legal challenges related to his time in jail, including accusations of conspiracy to escape from prison, though these have not been substantiated. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024 Authorities were never able to substantiate those sightings at the bar. Veronica Fulton, NBC News, 3 Nov. 2024 He was exonerated once; six complaints were substantiated, four allegations were deemed unfounded and another six were unsubstantiated. Sarah Metz, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2024 Unlike topical collagen, these ingredients are known to restore firmness and smooth wrinkles and have dozens of studies to substantiate this. Devon Abelman, Allure, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for substantiate 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for substantiate
Verb
  • These technical mishaps may prove highly consequential for Netflix; the streaming giant is scheduled to host several more high-profile sporting events in the coming months.
    Will McCurdy, PCMAG, 17 Nov. 2024
  • Ellison found junior Toray Davis for a pair of TDs and ran one in to give the Knights a 21-0 lead in the first half that proved too much for Chatfield (8-4) to overcome.
    Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 17 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Finally, 93% of the deliveries were completed with no attempt to verify the buyer’s age.
    Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
  • You'll be asked to sign a form verifying your identity.
    Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • These projects fully embody our brand: both reflect our dedication to manufacturing, attention to detail and quality materials and the Italian spirit and creativity that have always characterized Colnago.
    Jean E. Palmieri, WWD, 20 Nov. 2024
  • Perhaps worried about alienating her interlocutor, Wang fails to press Payá on camera about her support of a candidate who embodies American bigotry and who is a beacon of extremism.
    Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 19 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • While Birnbaum’s playful take on Murakami’s prose established the hip, colloquial style the author is still mostly known for today, his translation of Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World cut about 100 pages from the Japanese text.
    Bailey Trela, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024
  • Spanning six continents and representing nearly 80 percent of global GDP, the forum includes today’s most powerful states—U.S. partners and allies, as well as adversaries—and has the potential to drive momentum for establishing standards and norms regarding cooperation on global public goods.
    Leslie Vinjamuri, Foreign Affairs, 15 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • My own moral courage, my backbone, has been reinforced, actually, in making this film, because there is a real moral clarity to this issue.
    Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Nov. 2024
  • But more than just his talents with a brush, the film’s Greek chorus of experts from artistic and theological corners of the world reinforce the belief that da Vinci was also one of mankind’s greatest thinkers with an insatiable thirst for knowledge.
    Hunter Ingram, Variety, 19 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • But he's also demonstrated a willingness to work across the aisle with populist senators of both parties on key economic issues.
    Riley Beggin, USA TODAY, 20 Nov. 2024
  • President Biden’s trip to the Amazon demonstrates a U.S. commitment to the clean energy revolution, which Biden has fostered during his term.
    Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Zhenya also checks the public records of all 50 states and confirms that he is not licensed to practice architecture anywhere in the U.S. and thus legally can’t call himself an architect.
    Suzanne Seggerman, Curbed, 14 Nov. 2024
  • This confirmed that the original milk-raiding birds were passing on their methods to various flocks.
    Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 14 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • India’s anti-monopolies regulator earlier this year expressed concern about a concentration of cricket rights in the hands of Reliance Industries (Viacom18, Jio) and Disney.
    Patrick Frater, Variety, 23 Nov. 2024
  • These pieces expressed cultural values, visualized beneficial weather or environmental conditions or depicted spiritual purposes.
    Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near substantiate

Cite this Entry

“Substantiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substantiate. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

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