CONFEDERATE Synonyms: 116 Similar and Opposite Words

confederate 1 of 3

noun

Definition of confederate

as in accomplice

one associated with another in wrongdoing the police were able to track down his confederates once the thief started talking

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as in supporter

someone associated with another to give assistance or moral support relied on her confederates in the medical community for support

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

confederate

2 of 3

verb

kən-ˈfe-də-ˌrāt

as in to cooperate

to form or enter into an association that furthers the interests of its members the nations confederated in order to lower international trade barriers

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

confederate

3 of 3

adjective

as in allied

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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 confederate

Noun

Hynes died, but his three confederates have been subpoenaed to testify in my malicious prosecution lawsuit. — John O’Hara, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026 As the fallout continues, and fans question the filming and casting decisions of parent company Disney, Paul’s MomTok confederates are issuing statements and subtweets. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026

Verb

Rowling and longtime confederates Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts are exec producing, so she is expected to be involved in the decision-making on the series. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2025 Authorities are accusing Antonio Hernandez and confederates Ivan Murillo-Hernandez and Alexis Garcia Martinez of ripping off mail from unsuspecting venues with the help of four juveniles, whose names were not released. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2024

Adjective

As the Confederate capital, Richmond’s population had swelled to 100,000, crowded with troops and government workers. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026 Robert Smalls was a former slave and boat pilot who took control of a Confederate ship during the Civil War and sailed it into Union hands. — Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for confederate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for confederate

Noun

Murdaugh’s lawyers also demanded any evidence prosecutors have of possible accomplices or a grand jury investigation into them.

— Jeffrey Collins, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Kids made good accomplices, tasked with sneaking off on a hunt for the bill.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of accomplice

Noun

Even some supporters of capital punishment, including a number of Republican lawmakers, seemed repelled by the prospect.

— Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
The bottom line of Milton Friedman and other supporters of neoliberalism was that there has to be effective competition, there has to be open entry.

— John E. McDonough, STAT, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of supporter

Verb

The driver was cooperating with officers, said Moses, the police captain.

— Maggie Vespa, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
The time is right, but the weather might not cooperate as SpaceX has lined up a predawn launch Monday that could offer viewers another serving of space jellyfish.

— Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of cooperate

Adjective

In tandem, waivers for non-compliant materials will stop being available unless there are active efforts to qualify a domestic or allied source.

— Yardley Pohl, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Russia, too, has helped Tehran find and hit American and allied targets.

— Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of allied

Noun

Many of his domestic critics have faulted him for prolonging the war in Gaza to appease his far-right allies, and for permitting ultra-Orthodox Jews to forgo military service to appease that sizable religious voter bloc.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Trump administration officials and allies are starting to debate who will shoulder the blame if Republicans perform poorly in November.

— Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of ally

Verb

That pulse crushes the fuel, driving its atoms to unite and release their own huge amount of energy, whose nature and effects scientists can study.

— Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Cybersecurity, older and more diffuse, is united by a culture of cynicism, pragmatism, and dark humor.

— Harry Booth, Time, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of unite

Adjective

On redistricting, Biss has said Democrats should match Republicans’ push for partisan gerrymandering.

— Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026
Furthermore, if a Republican justice retires should Democrats win the Senate, the move will almost certainly be viewed as purely partisan.

— The Conversation, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of partisan

Noun

The Cornell administration that gave leniency to these boys are at best sympathizers who valued those boys’ lives over Jane Doe’s.

— Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2026
To Hitchcock, the indelible feature of Roosevelt’s Presidency was his desire to protect democratic norms and processes amid crises, even as critics accused him of being a power-mad dictator or a Communist sympathizer.

— Beverly Gage, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of sympathizer

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“Confederate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confederate. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of confederate

noun

verb

adjective

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