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| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | legitimize, substantiate |
| Synonyms: | absolve, acquit, advocate, alibi, answer for, apologize for, approve, argue for, assert, be answerable for, bear out, brief, claim, clear, condone, confirm, contend, cop a plea, countenance, crawl, defend, do justice to, establish, exculpate, excuse, exonerate, explain, favor, legalize, maintain, make allowances, make good, palliate, pardon, plead, rationalize, rebut, show cause, speak in favor, square, stand up for, support, sustain, uphold, validate, verify, vindicate, warrant |
| Main Entry: | advocate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | support idea or cause publicly |
| Synonyms: | advance, advise, argue for, back, be in corner, bless, bolster, boost*, brace up, build up, campaign for, champion, countenance, defend, encourage, favor, further, get on bandwagon, give a leg up, give a lift, go for, go to bat for, go with, hold with, justify, plead for, plug*, plump for, press for, promote, propose, push, recommend, ride shotgun for, root for, run interference for, say so, side, speak for, spread around, stump for, support, tout, uphold, urge, vindicate |
| Antonyms: | assail, attack, criticize, impugn, oppose, protest |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | argue |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | try to convince; present support |
| Synonyms: | appeal, assert, attest, claim, contend, controvert, defend, demonstrate, denote, display, elucidate, establish, evince, exhibit, explain, hold, imply, indicate, justify, maintain, manifest, persuade, plead, present, prevail upon, reason, show, suggest, talk into, testify, vindicate, warrant, witness |
| Antonyms: | agree, comply |
| Main Entry: | assert |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | insist, declare, maintain |
| Synonyms: | advance, affirm, allege, argue, asservate, attest, aver, avouch, avow, butt in, cite, claim, contend, defend, horn in, justify, mouth off, pop off, predicate, press, proclaim, profess, pronounce, protest, put forward, say, shoot off one's mouth, shoot one's wad, stand up for, state, stress, swear, uphold, vindicate, warrant |
| Antonyms: | deny, reject |
| Main Entry: | authenticate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | establish as real, genuine |
| Synonyms: | accredit, attest, authorize, bear out, certify, confirm, corroborate, endorse, guarantee, justify, prove, substantiate, validate, verify, vouch, warrant |
| Main Entry: | bear out |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | substantiate |
| Synonyms: | authenticate, confirm, corroborate, endorse, justify, prove, substantiate, support, uphold, validate, verify, vindicate |
| Main Entry: | claim |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | demand, maintain property or right |
| Synonyms: | adduce, advance, allege, ask, assert, believe, call for, challenge, collect, declare, defend, exact, have dibs on something, hit, hit up, hold, hold out for, insist, justify, knock, lay claim to, need, pick up, pop the question, postulate, pretend, profess, pronounce, require, requisition, solicit, stake out, take, uphold, vindicate |
| Antonyms: | deny, disclaim, question |
| Main Entry: | confirm |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | ratify, validate, prove |
| Synonyms: | affirm, approve, attest, authenticate, back, bear out, bless, buy, certify, check, check out, circumstantiate, corroborate, debunk, double-check, endorse, establish, explain, give green light, give high sign, give stamp of approval, give the go-ahead, give the nod, justify, lap up, make good, make sure, okay, rubber-stamp, sanction, settle, sign, sign off on, size up, subscribe, substantiate, support, thumbs up, underpin, uphold, verify, vouch, warrant, witness |
| Notes: | corroborate is used in a narrower context, usually by way of providing support for testimony in a legal proceeding; confirm is to lend support to a much wider array of things |
| Antonyms: | annul, cancel, contradict, destroy, disprove, invalidate, oppose, veto, void |
| Main Entry: | contend |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | argue |
| Synonyms: | affirm, allege, assert, aver, avow, blast, charge, claim, come at, cross, debate, defend, dictate, dispute, enjoin, fly in face of, gang up on, go at, have at, have bone to pick, hold, insist, jump on, justify, lace into, lay into, let have it, light into, lock horns with, maintain, mix, mix it up, prescribe, put up argument, report, rip*, say, set to, sock it to one, stick it to, take on, tell, urge, vindicate, warrant, zap |
| Antonyms: | cede, give in, give up, surrender |
* = informal/non-formal usage
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
