as in supporting
serving to give support to the truth or factualness of something without some substantiating evidence, such as a stub from a bus ticket, who's going to believe your alibi?
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1
as in proving
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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2
as in verifying
to give evidence or testimony to the truth or factualness of Mr. MacGregor couldn't substantiate that it was Peter, and not some other rabbit, in the cabbage patch
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3
as in embodying
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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4
as in establishing
to show the existence or truth of by evidence substantiate the need for a tuition increase with some concrete figures
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5
as in reinforcing
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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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 substantiating
Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026 Federal officials have declined to provide critical details substantiating their claim that an agent shot ICU nurse Alex Pretti in self-defense. —Tricia Escobedo, CNN Money, 26 Jan. 2026
Verb
Because pain is so subjective—and because of the difficulty in substantiating conditions such as whiplash and soft-tissue damage—surgery had the benefit not just of running up the clinical expense of an accident but also of seeming to ratify its legitimacy. —Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026 Federal officials have declined to provide critical details substantiating their claim that an agent shot ICU nurse Alex Pretti in self-defense. —Tricia Escobedo, CNN Money, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for substantiating
Adjective
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Some went after Cashman, some after Boone, some after Steinbrenner’s son Hal, and some after Aaron Judge’s non-supporting cast.— Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
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Sure, that was exacerbated, and to some degree directly caused, by the ample non-supporting cast around him, especially on the offensive line.— Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But beyond the bullpen, the Cubs’ bench is proving to be a real weapon for Counsell.— Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
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This development offers a new model for autonomous robotics, proving that sophisticated, large-scale tasks can be managed through simple, self-organizing interactions.— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There were no dedicated, full-time employees in that arm, which handles verifying and logging all distribution expenses for accounting statements, other than Neon former vice president of finance James Wehrfritz, until 2020, when Friscia was hired, per court documents.— Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
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The model can also reason through tasks, including verifying outputs and pulling in external information.— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Now, Ternus is tasked with embodying that same philosophy in charting the company’s next era.— Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
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Sure, there’s an air of elegance that pervades with guests often embodying that quiet luxury vibe, but that doesn’t spoil the authenticity of the resort, which is a destination for those seeking a blend of sun, sand and sophistication—no matter what designer label your shoes happen to be.— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Disaster relief protections include a waiver of a one-time activation fee for establishing remote call forwarding.— Cox Communications, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026
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Among those measures was a proposal requiring any ballot measure establishing a fee to undergo a thorough analysis and calculation as to the fee amount before it is presented to voters.— Jan Goldsmith, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Beyond the school district, various businesses and organizations are now joining in the initiative, reinforcing the message to students.— Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
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At Ford, Heather is already reinforcing the foundation’s commitment to human rights, social justice, and democracy.— Elizabeth Alexander, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hermes-1 is not built to produce electricity, which is a crucial step in demonstrating the incorporation of components such as the tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) coated fuel particle and flibe molten fluoride salt coolant.— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 21 Apr. 2026
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Instead, the 22-year-old has been used as a right-sided centre-back and has fared well, showcasing her playmaking on the ball and demonstrating an innate knack for box defending.— Megan Feringa, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The agency surveyed areas in Southeast Michigan, confirming that EF-1 tornadoes touched down in Ann Arbor and Lincoln Park.— Paula Wethington, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
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Blanche could also change DOJ policy that prohibits prosecutors from even confirming the existence of an investigation and requires them to speak only through their indictments.— Barbara McQuade, Twin Cities, 16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Substantiating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/substantiating. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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