corroborate

1 of 2

verb

cor·​rob·​o·​rate kə-ˈrä-bə-ˌrāt How to pronounce corroborate (audio)
corroborated; corroborating
Synonyms of corroborate

transitive verb

: to support or help prove with evidence or authority : make more certain
Did the witnesses corroborate the story?
The documents … corroborate this sequence of events.—Jennifer Bjorhus
corroboration
kə-ˌrä-bə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce corroborate (audio)
noun
corroborative
kə-ˈrä-bə-ˌrā-tiv How to pronounce corroborate (audio)
-ˈrä-b(ə-)rə-
adjective
corroborator
kə-ˈrä-bə-ˌrā-tər How to pronounce corroborate (audio)
noun
corroboratory
kə-ˈrä-b(ə-)rə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce corroborate (audio)
adjective

corroborator

2 of 2

noun

cor·​rob·​o·​ra·​tor kə-ˈrä-bə-ˌrā-tər How to pronounce corroborator (audio)
plural -s
: one that corroborates

Synonyms of corroborate

Relevance

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for corroborate

confirm, corroborate, substantiate, verify, authenticate, validate mean to attest to the truth or validity of something.

confirm implies the removing of doubts by an authoritative statement or indisputable fact.

confirmed the reports

corroborate suggests the strengthening of what is already partly established.

witnesses corroborated his story

substantiate implies the offering of evidence that sustains the contention.

the claims have yet to be substantiated

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

authenticate implies establishing genuineness by adducing legal or official documents or expert opinion.

handwriting experts authenticated the diaries

validate implies establishing validity by authoritative affirmation or by factual proof.

validated the hypothesis by experiments

Examples of corroborate in a Sentence

Verb Studies that are wrong will be superseded by better studies with different results. Studies that are right will be corroborated by other good studies. —Harriet Hall, Skeptic, 2007
Evidence like this is rarely conclusive, but it can help police corroborate testimony … —David Fisher, Hard Evidence, 1995
… the great Dr. Woodruff … corroborated my doctor's belief that my two infections had been resolved … —James Thurber 7 Mar. 1946, in Selected Letters Of James Thurber,  (1980) 1981
the witnesses corroborated the policeman's testimony my personal experience does not corroborate your faith in the essential goodness of people
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
But no witness on his boat or in the channel at the time of the crash corroborated the claim. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 11 June 2026 Neither Musk, Elluswamy nor the driver has posted car data from the crash that could corroborate their claims. — Samantha Elkins, NBC news, 25 June 2026 Phone company records corroborated the girl’s account, according to court records. — Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 25 June 2026 Testimony by other eyewitnesses was used to corroborate defense claims that New Year’s revelers were setting off fireworks in the area that night. — Jack Hannah, CNN Money, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for corroborate

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Latin corroboratus, past participle of corroborare, from com- + robor-, robur strength

First Known Use

Verb

1529, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of corroborate was in 1529

Rhymes for corroborate

See All Rhymes for corroborate

Browse Nearby Words

corroborant
corroborate
corroboration
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Corroborate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corroborate. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

corroborate

verb
cor·​rob·​o·​rate kə-ˈräb-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce corroborate (audio)
corroborated; corroborating
: to support with evidence or authority
corroborated my brother's story
corroboration
-ˌräb-ə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce corroborate (audio)
noun
corroborative
-ˈräb-ə-ˌrāt-iv How to pronounce corroborate (audio)
-ˈräb-(ə-)rət-iv
adjective
corroborator
-ˈräb-ə-ˌrāt-ər How to pronounce corroborate (audio)
noun
corroboratory
-ˈräb-(ə-)-rə-ˌtōr-ē How to pronounce corroborate (audio)
-ˌtȯr-
adjective

Legal Definition

corroborate

transitive verb
cor·​rob·​o·​rate kə-ˈrä-bə-ˌrāt How to pronounce corroborate (audio)
corroborated; corroborating
: to support with evidence or authority : strengthen or make more certain
corroboration
kə-ˌrä-bə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce corroborate (audio)
noun
corroborative
kə-ˈrä-bə-ˌrā-tiv, -rə-tiv How to pronounce corroborate (audio)
adjective
Etymology

Transitive verb

Latin corroboratus, past participle of corroborare to strengthen, from com-, prefix marking completion + robur strength, literally, oak tree

More from Merriam-Webster on corroborate

Nglish: Translation of corroborate for Spanish Speakers

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