11.   Public confidence erodes under waves of personal smearmongering.

12.   The Fed will have to keep a close watch on matters to avoid over-restrictive policies if confidence erodes in the new energy environment.

13.   Without them, close wins have become close losses, close losses have become bad losses, and confidence has eroded.

14.   But his confidence is eroding.

15.   Confidence has eroded.

16.   Consumer and business confidence has eroded further, exacerbated by rising energy costs that continue to drain consumer purchasing power and press on business profit margins.

17.   Consumer confidence has eroded further since Greenspan delivered his economic outlook report to the Senate just two weeks ago.

18.   Consumer confidence has eroded, with share values plummeting from New York to Tokyo and fears of a recession rising.

19.   Niles, the Lehman Brothers analyst, said consumer confidence will erode further as corporate layoffs grow.