I. adjective
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a sure sign (= a very clear sign )
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He was walking up and down, a sure sign that he was worried.
a sure way
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Improving your diet is the surest way to lower your risk of heart disease.
feel sure/certain (= think that something is definitely true )
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She felt sure she’d made the right decision.
know for sure
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I think he’s still living in Chicago, but I don’t know for sure .
sure touch (= confident way of doing things )
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His sure touch and attention to detail are just as evident now.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
absolutely
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And make absolutely sure the policy you buy covers you for winter sports and not just travel.
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I am absolutely sure that my friend Jimmy Wall and I failed in our attempt to set a record.
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And until she's sure , you can't be absolutely sure yourself.
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And one final thing, just to make absolutely sure .
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Not absolutely sure about that, yet absolutely sure yes? - that you are perfectly happy here.
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We have to be absolutely sure that only the pollen we want reaches the stigma.
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For we can be absolutely sure she was there, the whole time.
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Don't throw anything away until you are absolutely sure you won't need it again.
pretty
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I saw you two had your heads bowed and I was pretty sure it wasn't religious devotion.
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Marine scientists were pretty sure a coral reef, like any complex ecosystem, must be assembled in the correct order.
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He was pretty sure that was new.
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I was pretty sure Dilip would find the dang about as interesting as mud.
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A glance at the map made Charles pretty sure that that gun was now in the Thames.
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I was pretty sure before I went up to her apartment, but that clinched it.
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But she was pretty sure Uncle Albert would find it interesting.
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He said nothing but I was pretty sure he was close to tears.
quite
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No one in the room was quite sure what would happen next as Romanov offered no opinion.
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Then thirdly, make quite sure the objective is implemented properly, so you have to monitor.
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She wasn't quite sure where she hoped to get to, what she hoped to achieve, but it felt right.
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She wasn't quite sure any longer.
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He was not quite sure who it was, but he had certain ideas.
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Still, he could not be quite sure that he always did that with his bread.
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I was quite sure I hadn't called the house the previous night.
so
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We're so sure about the reliability of our washing machines that we've given them a full 5-year parts guarantee.
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I was so sure of this, I told my husband.
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But things had changed; the ground she had thought she was so sure of had shifted a little.
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Her New York friends were not so sure .
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Though I am not so sure .
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A few miles away, in the small house that Sally, Roy and Cicely share, Sally is not so sure .
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Management theorists were not so sure .
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Then he learned why the Big Nurse was so sure of her hand.
■ NOUN
sign
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He pulled the ball; a sure sign he was choking.
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These are the sure signs that green corn tamale season is in full swing.
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The oyster boats were still fixed to the moorings, a sure sign that Oystermouth was in mourning.
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He complained that newcomers forgot to bring church membership certificates along, a sure sign that they expected no church at all.
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Last week saw talk of intervention to underpin the euro, a sure sign that policymakers are starting to be concerned.
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The Presidential lips pursed, a sure sign of anger.
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We sighted a fishing boat in the distance, a sure sign of more sheltered water.
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He scratched his head, a sure sign of thought.
way
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There will be no surer way of rendering the divisional championship worthless than introducing a tiny club super-league.
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This will likely be the only sure way they have of increasing their base pay level. 5.
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The only sure way to reduce the danger is to reduce the world's store of uranium and plutonium.
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Instantly she saw a surer way to defend herself than with an ax.
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But the only sure way to tell if the sett is in use is to watch it.
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The surest way to do that is to get a poor child a ticket to a good school.
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Never use rubber bands to tie back your hair: it's a sure way to get hair breakage.
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Understanding and planning for your own needs-as well as the needs of your business-is the surest way to succeed.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
it's a safe/sure/fair bet (that)
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As soon as a board attempts to interfere with management tasks it's a fair bet that profits will decline.
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He may not fancy it, but it's a safe bet that he would be the first man to do it.
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Since they're not, it's a fair bet that they show something she doesn't want you to know.
sure as hell
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Alan, if I could get you out of there, I sure as hell would.
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And they sure as hell don't understand any of us.
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But it will sure as hell make him think twice before risking it.
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Goddamn that tune, it sure as hell sounds familiar!
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I as sure as hell don't want it.
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I don't think I scare easily, but I sure as hell scared myself that weekend.
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Not even that low humming sound which I knew sure as hell wasn't the thermostat on the fridge.
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They sure as hell don't need your paper and even less journalists like Steven Wells with his repetitive, egotistical comments!
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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'The car was a BMW' 'Are you sure ?'
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Are you quite sure that he understood your instructions?
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I'm pretty sure Barbara still works here.
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I'm surprised she isn't here - I was sure she would come.
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I think children are influenced by these films, but it's impossible to be sure about this.
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I think Leah lives here, but I'm not sure .
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We do not believe this is the body of the missing girl, but we have to check to be absolutely sure .
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You need to be sure of your facts before making any accusations.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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Are you sure that isn't Transylvania?
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Are you sure you aren't paying too much tax?
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Clara waited, eyes on the window, until she was sure Cybil was through with the Wedding March.
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He wanted to be sure he could return to London if he didn't like his new job.
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Lou Rigatoni laughed and doffed his hat, which Madame Astarti thought was a fedora but wasn't sure .
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Moreover, how could he be sure Sir Philip would disregard his illegitimacy, as Madeleine appeared to do?
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This is where you attract the patrons and sponsors who will make sure that you get the choice assignments.
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To be sure , designers on one side may pirate good ideas, may imitate design features, from the other side.
II. adverb
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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"The turkey looks pretty good, doesn't it?" "It sure does."
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Sure , he's cute, but I'm still not interested.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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And sure enough, the signatures did look personalized.