How is the word insure distinct from other similar verbs?
Some common synonyms of insure are assure, ensure, and secure. While all these words mean "to make a thing or person sure," insure sometimes stresses the taking of necessary measures beforehand.
careful planning should insure the success of the party
When can assure be used instead of insure?
In some situations, the words assure and insure are roughly equivalent. However, assure distinctively implies the removal of doubt and suspense from a person's mind.
I assure you that no harm will be done
How is ensure related to other words for insure?
Ensure, insure, and assure are interchangeable in many contexts where they indicate the making certain or inevitable of an outcome, but ensure may imply a virtual guarantee.
the government has ensured the safety of the refugees
When is secure a more appropriate choice than insure?
The words secure and insure can be used in similar contexts, but secure implies action taken to guard against attack or loss.
sent reinforcements to secure their position
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of insureIn the interview, Cannon casually joked about insuring his testicles for a whopping $10,000,000, claiming each one was worth $5,000,000.—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 2 May 2025 The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is an independent agency of the U.S. government that insures deposits in banks and savings institutions up to $250,000 per depositor.—Medora Lee, USA Today, 1 May 2025 Medicaid is a highly regulated joint state and federal program that in Florida largely goes to insuring poor children.—Kirby Wilson, Miami Herald, 1 May 2025 The research said that the root of the problem, as in many cities across the nation, stems from federal redlining policies that refused to insure mortgages in non-white neighborhoods.—Vanessa Romo, NPR, 30 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for insure
Ultimately, on-device chips [often associated with edge computing, or processors built into devices like smartphones, home appliances, etc] are becoming powerful enough to run AI models and can ensure data privacy.
—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
28 May 2025
The design also balances user experience with publisher ecosystem health by ensuring clear attribution and driving traffic back to original sources.
But unlike last offseason, when the Falcons committed $90 million guaranteed to Kirk Cousins before using a first-round pick for another QB, Michael Penix Jr., the move to draft pass rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. was not an either-or proposition.
—
Mike Sando,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
All they were guaranteed was pay for their work and a chance to apply for the lucrative scholarships.
—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2025
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