confirm wrongdoing

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "confirm wrongdoing" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the act of verifying or acknowledging that a mistake or illegal action has occurred. Example: "The investigation aimed to confirm wrongdoing within the organization and hold those responsible accountable."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The prosecutor's move to place Benzema under formal investigation — which in the French justice system does not confirm wrongdoing but means investigators have serious grounds for pursuing the matter — exposes Benzema to a lengthy period of doubt before the European Championship finals that France hosts next year.

The Guardian - Sport

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

The controversy began when White House officials acknowledged as the week opened that she had learned in April that an independent audit, expected in May, would confirm I.R.S. wrongdoing.

The New York Times

All she would say was: "We neither confirm nor deny any wrongdoing.

The New York Times

Republicans hold the Senate with a hairsplitting majority of 51-49, and they need 50 senators to vote yes on Kavanaugh — who's been accused of sexual misconduct in high school and college by three women and denied all wrongdoing — to confirm him.

Vice

In an opinion earlier this year, he threatened to reject the next S.E.C. settlement that included the "neither confirming nor denying wrongdoing" language.

The New York Times

The settlements bear many of the hallmarks of the government's response to the financial crisis so far: The banks neither confirmed nor denied wrongdoing, no individuals were named in the case, and the penalties involved are minor compared to the firms' profits.

Huffington Post

I fully expect this will confirm that there has been no wrongdoing whatsoever, and the district attorney's office will have our full cooperation in this process.

Los Angeles Times

We apologise for the error and can confirm that there is no suggestion that Mr Dusanjh was aware of, or had any responsibility for, any wrongdoing.

The Guardian

A spokesman for Higdon's office said Monday they "cannot confirm or deny any investigation" into the alleged wrongdoings in the race between Harris and McCready.

Huffington Post

Hedgeable also agreed to the SEC's censure order without confirming or denying any wrongdoing.

TechCrunch

According to two of the sources, Uber made the payment to confirm the hacker's identity and have him sign a nondisclosure agreement to deter further wrongdoing.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "confirm wrongdoing" in situations where you aim to highlight the verification or acknowledgement of an error or illegal action.

Common error

Avoid using "confirm wrongdoing" when you only have suspicions or unverified claims. Prematurely confirming wrongdoing without proper investigation can lead to defamation or legal issues.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "confirm wrongdoing" functions primarily as a verb phrase where "confirm" acts as a transitive verb taking "wrongdoing" as its direct object. It indicates the act of verifying or substantiating an improper action. Ludwig AI confirms this usage through various examples.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "confirm wrongdoing" is a grammatically sound phrase primarily used to indicate the verification or acknowledgement of illegal or unethical actions. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is most commonly found in the context of news and media. While it maintains a neutral to professional register, it's crucial to ensure that such confirmation is backed by solid evidence to avoid misrepresentation. Related phrases include "verify misconduct" and "validate fault", which offer similar meanings with slight variations in emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

verify misconduct

Replaces "confirm" with "verify" which focuses on proving the existence of misconduct.

validate fault

Substitutes "confirm wrongdoing" with "validate fault", which means acknowledging a mistake or error.

substantiate misconduct

Uses "substantiate" instead of "confirm", implying providing evidence to prove the wrongdoing.

establish culpability

Replaces the original phrase with a more formal term, focusing on proving guilt or responsibility.

prove misconduct

Replaces "confirm" with "prove", indicating a higher level of certainty.

demonstrate fault

Uses "demonstrate" to emphasize showing the existence of fault.

acknowledge wrongdoing

Focuses on admitting that the wrongdoing occurred, rather than confirming it.

affirm misconduct

Replaces "confirm" with "affirm", suggesting a strong declaration of the wrongdoing.

corroborate fault

Uses "corroborate" to indicate providing additional evidence to support the existence of fault.

ascertain culpability

Replaces "confirm" with "ascertain", focusing on discovering the culpability.

FAQs

How is "confirm wrongdoing" typically used in a sentence?

The phrase "confirm wrongdoing" is generally used in contexts where an investigation or audit has revealed evidence that supports the existence of a mistake or illegal action. For instance, "The investigation aimed to confirm wrongdoing within the organization and hold those responsible accountable".

What are some alternative phrases to "confirm wrongdoing"?

You can use alternatives like "verify misconduct", "validate fault", or "substantiate misconduct" depending on the specific context and nuance you wish to convey.

When is it appropriate to use the phrase "confirm wrongdoing"?

It's suitable when you have credible evidence or findings that support the existence of an error or illegal action. Using it implies a level of certainty backed by investigation or verification.

What's the difference between "confirm wrongdoing" and "allege wrongdoing"?

"Confirm wrongdoing" suggests that there is evidence or proof that illegal actions have happened, while "allege wrongdoing" simply indicates that someone has accused another of doing something wrong, without necessarily having proof.