21.   He and others speculated the federal government will likely funnel more funds toward defense spending, which they say will erode confidence and lead to higher inflation.

22.   He knew his team was talented enough to pull out of the funk, but consecutive losses erode confidence.

23.   He said that deception allowed the media, politicians and extremists to fuel conspiracy theories and erode public confidence.

24.   His confidence became seriously eroded.

25.   Higher consumer debt levels, in turn, could erode confidence in the economy in months to come, he said.

26.   If not, the pretense should be dropped before it erodes public confidence in the regulatory system.

27.   If uncertainty over the presidential election has eroded consumer confidence, there is no sign of it yet, she said.

28.   Investor confidence has been eroded by evidence the recession will be deeper than initially expected.

29.   Meanwhile, the dismal economy continues to erode confidence in the coalition government of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, drawing criticism even from political allies.

30.   News of the WorldCom scandal sent foreign bond markets tumbling and further eroded confidence in Wall Street.