vouchsafe

Definition of vouchsafenext

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb vouchsafe contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of vouchsafe are accord, award, concede, and grant. While all these words mean "to give as a favor or a right," vouchsafe implies granting something as a courtesy or an act of gracious condescension.

vouchsafed the secret to only a few chosen disciples

When can accord be used instead of vouchsafe?

While the synonyms accord and vouchsafe are close in meaning, accord implies giving to another what is due or proper.

accorded all the honors befitting a head of state

When is award a more appropriate choice than vouchsafe?

Although the words award and vouchsafe have much in common, award implies giving what is deserved or merited usually after a careful weighing of pertinent factors.

awarded the company a huge defense contract

In what contexts can concede take the place of vouchsafe?

The synonyms concede and vouchsafe are sometimes interchangeable, but concede implies yielding something reluctantly in response to a rightful or compelling claim.

even her critics concede she can be charming

When might grant be a better fit than vouchsafe?

In some situations, the words grant and vouchsafe are roughly equivalent. However, grant implies giving to a claimant or petitioner something that could be withheld.

granted them a new hearing

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 vouchsafe Anthropic’s founders adopted a special corporate structure to vouchsafe their integrity. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026 Democracy is a fragile achievement, a perpetual work in progress, not the sort of thing that can be vouchsafed by a trend line — and certainly not the sort of thing that technology automatically generates. — Becca Rothfeld, Washington Post, 26 June 2024 That’s why Phony Wars speaks to us in codes, an artist vouchsafing his feelings and intentions. — Armond White, National Review, 29 Sep. 2023 Consider a test-tube example, almost ordered up to make the court’s case for it, vouchsafed by California just a few weeks ago. — Holman W. Jenkins, WSJ, 6 July 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vouchsafe
Verb
  • One day earlier, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget granted $20 million to CBP before the money was handed to the advertising agency.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Many of these wrecks have been undiscovered for decades, with commercial access only being granted recently.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Only about a dozen countries have active programs, including small Caribbean island states.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • But Todd Field inhabited that world, and allowed the audience to do so, in a way that no previous director had.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Children today are growing up around AI, robots and devices that once belonged to science fiction, and Yoshida concedes that reality has, in some ways, caught up with Doraemon’s gadgets.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The network apologized; Rather defended the report initially but conceded after several weeks that the materials should not have been used.
    — Walter Podrazik, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Buyers must be approved by the board and financing is not permitted.
    — Mark David, Robb Report, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Or, if the objective is to assess a student’s knowledge of historical events, an instructor might permit the use of AI for proofreading.
    — Melissa Loble, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • That means eliminating overlapping businesses and jobs in Hollywood, which is already suffering through a downturn.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Should corporate revenues demonstrate resilience while profit margins suffer cost compression, markets may reevaluate earnings prospects across energy intensive sectors.
    — , CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Vouchsafe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vouchsafe. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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