assign

1
as in to task
to give a task, duty, or responsibility to assigned the class with the task of finding something in the state constitution they felt needed changing

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word assign different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of assign are ascribe, attribute, credit, and impute. While all these words mean "to lay something to the account of a person or thing," assign implies ascribing with certainty or after deliberation.

assigned the bones to the Cretaceous period

In what contexts can ascribe take the place of assign?

The synonyms ascribe and assign are sometimes interchangeable, but ascribe suggests an inferring or conjecturing of cause, quality, authorship.

forged paintings formerly ascribed to masters

How is attribute related to other words for assign?

Attribute suggests less tentativeness than ascribe, less definiteness than assign.

attributed to Rembrandt but possibly done by an associate

Where would credit be a reasonable alternative to assign?

In some situations, the words credit and assign are roughly equivalent. However, credit implies ascribing a thing or especially an action to a person or other thing as its agent, source, or explanation.

credited his teammates for his success

When is it sensible to use impute instead of assign?

While in some cases nearly identical to assign, impute suggests ascribing something that brings discredit by way of accusation or blame.

tried to impute sinister motives to my actions

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of assign McNulty was part of the agency's elite Public Health Associate Program, assigned to the Iowa Cancer Consortium, a small group working on statewide efforts to combat what is the country's second-highest cancer rate. Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 7 Mar. 2025 In May 2024, Superintendent Howard Hepburn, who took up the task initially assigned to former-Superintendent Peter Licata, recommended closing three schools. Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2025 What To Know The pit stop, also known as hot pit refueling, was conducted from February 20 to 27 at Misawa Air Base in Japan's northern Aomori prefecture during the Bomber Task Force 25-1 mission, involving B-1B bombers assigned to the 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron. Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 2025 Connecticut State Police assigned to the airport were notified by U.S. Customs and Border Enforcement about a fugitive who was onboard a flight scheduled to land in Windsor Locks around 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 5 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for assign
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assign
Verb
  • Billionaire Elon Musk was initially tasked with leading DOGE.
    Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
  • The initiative, which is led by billionaire Tesla boss Elon Musk, was tasked with slashing federal government administration costs.
    Ryan Browne, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • An eye poke late in the third round paused the contest for the full five minutes Cejudo was allotted to recover from the foul.
    Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
  • The exceptions were Kentucky and Vermont, which received around 3 percent of the seats in the House, and Maine, which had about 4 percent of the total after Congress allotted the new state seven of Massachusetts's previous 20 seats.
    Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 26 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • There are consequences to Congress ceding wide swaths of its authority to a massive administration state.
    Editorial, Boston Herald, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Losing once again could see Barca cede its one point lead at the La Liga summit over Atletico Madrid, and three point advantage at the expense of bitter rival Real Madrid.
    Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The consulting firm Guidepost Solutions has been appointed to serve as the independent monitor following their recommendation by the Justice Department and the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.
    Steve Weisman, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Word of the inquiry emerged as Holmes, a former NYPD chief appointed by Mayor Adams in March 2023, was slated to appear Friday in a budget hearing before the City Council.
    Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Known for coining the phrase ‘facial balancing’ in the world of injectables, and for striving to provide the most natural, forward-looking treatments to patients, Lee has been entrusted to treat the faces of celebrities from Kourtney Barker, Kim Kardashian, Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba and others.
    Margaux Lushing, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
  • In Lagos’ pulsating heart, a dying nightclub owner entrusts her legacy to her shy daughter.
    DeMicia Inman, VIBE.com, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Of those, more than a third were allocated out of sequence, meaning they should have been offered to candidates higher on a waiting list.
    Sam Allard, Axios, 28 Feb. 2025
  • While side hustles are a major way children are saving up money, many are also allocating their allowances to their savings — especially when considering that 62 percent of 6-year-olds receive an allowance and 80 percent of children receive one by the age of 14.
    Kanika Talwar, WWD, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Before transferring to join Clemson’s inaugural gymnastics program, Clark was also a star at Utah State University.
    Caroline Price, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
  • Bond spent two seasons with Alabama before transferring to Texas for the 2024 season.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 1 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The 38-year-old actress is nominated for Best Actress for her role as Elphaba Thropp in Jon M. Chu's Wicked.
    Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Wills was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for the John Wayne-directed The Alamo in 1961.
    Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Assign.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assign. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.

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