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 Inevitably, one of Robbie’s invasions goes very wrong, and Tom is assigned to form a task force to investigate. Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2025 Wall Street had already priced in a near-certainty of the cut, with futures markets assigning just a slim chance of a larger half-point move. Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2025 Publicize them openly, assign new projects fairly and keep remote-heavy employees top of mind. Julia Korn, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025 From there, traders are assigning a better than 70% chance of cuts in both October and December, according to the CME Group's FedWatch Tool, which gauges rate cut probabilities using 30-day fed funds futures contract prices. Jeff Cox, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for assign
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assign
Verb
  • The company’s chief scientist, the Nobel-winning chemist Irving Langmuir, was tasked with entertaining Wells.
    Thomas Moynihan, Big Think, 15 Sep. 2025
  • It is designed to enable operator decisions in real time, providing the human touch while teleoperating robotic systems and tasking them with complex autonomous functions.
    Leonard David, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Most federal comment periods last 60 to 90 days versus the 21 days allotted to comment on rescinding the Roadless Rule.
    Brianna Randall, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Federal officials often drew rough or incorrect maps and even lost track of which parcels had been allotted and to whom, especially as original allottees passed away.
    Beth Rose Middleton Manning, The Conversation, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Ukrainians overwhelmingly reject ceding territory.
    Oleksandra Matviichuk, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Peace cannot be achieved by ceding sovereignty.
    Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • While his fingerprints are all over the new magazine, Enninful has not appointed himself its editor-in-chief, instead asking his former Vogue deputy Sarah Harris to lead as editorial director.
    Fiona Sinclair Scott, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
  • When Husseini campaigned to be appointed grand mufti, he was opposed by Raghib al Nashashibi, the mayor of Jerusalem.
    Sean Durns, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • To take one subset, a number of people entrusted to teach young people have been caught celebrating the killing.
    The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 14 Sep. 2025
  • The most effective leaders stay connected in select, high-leverage areas—those that define brand, culture, or strategic direction—while entrusting others with execution.
    Brent Gleeson, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Funding the high-speed rail project On the final day of sessions, legislators agreed to allocate $1 billion each year from the state’s cap-and-trade program to fund the high-speed rail project.
    Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Budd also does not know how the state would allocate resources among local governments.
    Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Many successful professionals combine multiple approaches—starting with community college, transferring to four-year schools, adding certifications, or launching businesses alongside traditional employment.
    Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • That dream never manifested, and eventually, the republican government’s international legitimacy was transferred to the surging mainland.
    Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Seth Rogen has been nominated for 9 Emmys, but his win for lead actor in a comedy series for his work on The Studio marks his first one.
    Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 15 Sep. 2025
  • At the Creative Arts Emmys ceremony in early September, Scott Glenn was nominated for an Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Emmy, which went to Shawn Hatosy for his turn in the HBO/HBO Max series The Pitt.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Assign.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assign. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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