Synonym Chooser

How is the word consign distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of consign are commit, confide, entrust, and relegate. While all these words mean "to assign to a person or place for a definite purpose," consign suggests removing from one's control with formality or finality.

consigned the damaging notes to the fire

When is it sensible to use commit instead of consign?

While the synonyms commit and consign are close in meaning, commit may express the general idea of delivering into another's charge or the special sense of transferring to a superior power or to a special place of custody.

committed the felon to prison

When could confide be used to replace consign?

While in some cases nearly identical to consign, confide implies entrusting with great assurance or reliance.

confided complete control of my affairs to my attorney

In what contexts can entrust take the place of consign?

The words entrust and consign are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, entrust implies committing with trust and confidence.

the president is entrusted with broad powers

When would relegate be a good substitute for consign?

The synonyms relegate and consign are sometimes interchangeable, but relegate implies a consigning to a particular class or sphere often with a suggestion of getting rid of.

relegated to an obscure position in the company

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 consign The watercolor paintings Boy and Girl at a Well (1879) and Boy and Girl on a Swing (1879) were consigned to the auction house and sold after being appraised on the popular PBS program. Karen K. Ho, ARTnews.com, 24 Jan. 2025 The following year, Bjorn Borg beat Gerulaitis at Wimbledon to take their head-to-head record to 17-0 and consign the quote to folklore rather than truth. Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025 The best sports watches have heart rate reader tech good enough to make most of us consign chest straps to the back of a cupboard. Andrew Williams, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025 The Brits may showcase the various roles women played in the war — Bletchley decoders, WRNS, WAAFs and, of course, spies — but American screenwriters have mostly consigned the 150,000 women who served in to a bit of backstory, a romantic diversion or a joke. Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for consign 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for consign
Verb
  • Industry leaders sent a letter to the two senators in opposition to the legislation.
    Daniel de Visé, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2025
  • Story tips and ideas can be sent to sarah.rumpf@fox.com and on X: @s_rumpfwhitten.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Fox News, 9 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Many women took this aesthetic a step further, showcasing their natural textures, with their curls and coils either elegantly crowned with cowboy hats or left freely flowing in the winter breeze.
    Stixx Mathews, Essence, 11 Feb. 2025
  • Tae-hwan didn’t seem to care about her or left her behind when ice skating and didn’t seem interested in her conversations.
    Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 11 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • South Africa's British rulers handed most farmland to whites.
    Reuters, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2025
  • From the moment her face lights up as someone off-frame hands her guitar, the Oscar-winner pitches everything at the level of demented, manic glee.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Navalny survived an assassination attempt in 2020 before he was arrested in 2021, and was transferred to the maximum security prison in 2023, labeled an extremist, and forced into solitary confinement.
    Jenavieve Hatch, Sacramento Bee, 17 Feb. 2025
  • Instead of selling, Clark transferred ownership to his son, James H. Clark, in 1973.
    Howard Walker, Robb Report, 17 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • In June 1951, the nurses gave their trial patients the first dose of isoniazid.
    Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 8 Feb. 2025
  • Escape to Baja Beach takes place at New Orleans’ bar The Frat House and gives visitors the chance to meet the Mountain Dude.
    Lauren Coates, Variety, 8 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Although this topical version doesn’t deliver the same intensely rejuvenating, literally skin-deep benefits as the injectable, the Rejuran Turnover Ampoule is a great, more affordable option for those who are needle-shy.
    Devon Abelman, Allure, 11 Feb. 2025
  • Monster Hunter World was a zenith for the franchise, delivering a superb and accessible action experience enjoyed by millions.
    PCMAG, PCMAG, 11 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Trump is especially bitter that President Carter, in 1977, entered into agreement with Panama to relinquish control of the canal by the year 1999.
    Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2025
  • Ellis hired his previous CBS Records colleague Gregg Geller, who José promptly put in charge of the Elvis Presley catalog, moving it over from Nashville, where Joe Galante was only too happy to relinquish it after the sales spike from Presley’s death in 1977 had cooled off.
    Roy Trakin, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • In the complaint filed in Seattle, the three Democratic attorneys general argue that the executive order violates equal rights protections, the separation of powers and states' powers to regulate what is not specifically delegated to the federal government.
    MANUEL VALDES THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, arkansasonline.com, 15 Feb. 2025
  • But part of that unhappiness might be rooted in your hesitation to delegate tasks to your team members.
    Stephanie Dillon, Rolling Stone, 14 Feb. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near consign

Cite this Entry

“Consign.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/consign. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on consign

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