as·sist | \ ə-ˈsist 
\
\assisted; assisting; assists
Definition of assist
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to give usually supplementary support or aid to
She assisted the boy with his lessons.
1 : to give support or aid
assisted at the stove Another surgeon assisted on the operation.
2 : to be present as a spectator
… the ideal figures assisting at Italian holy scenes.— Mary McCarthy
assist
nounDefinition of assist (Entry 2 of 2)
1 US : an act or action that helps someone : an act of assistance He wrote the story with an assist from a friend. [=with the help of a friend]
2 : the action (such as a throw or pass) of a player who enables a teammate to make a putout (as in baseball) or score a goal (as in basketball or hockey) also : official credit given for such an action was credited with 5 assists in the first half
3 : a mechanical or electromechanical device that provides assistance
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Synonyms & Antonyms for assist
Synonyms: Verb
Synonyms: Noun
Antonyms: Verb
Antonyms: Noun
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Examples of assist in a Sentence
Verb
The device assists those who can't climb stairs.
The President was assisted by his advisers.
She assisted the boy with his homework.
Another doctor assisted him with the operation.
Another doctor assisted with the operation.
Federal agents are assisting with the investigation.
She assisted in making the decision.
The cream assists in the prevention of skin cancer.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Some states — including Maryland, Michigan and Ohio — also have activated Guard members in their states to assist with vaccine distribution.
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Neal Earley, Arkansas Online, "Arkansas National Guard helps with vaccine push," 10 Jan. 2021 To assist with the situation, California created a state oxygen team, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers crews recently arrived to update their oxygen delivery systems.
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David Aaro, Fox News, "Los Angeles County ambulance crews told to ration oxygen amid surge in COVID-19 cases: report," 5 Jan. 2021 Field hospitals and medical tents have been erected outside to assist with intake and triage.
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Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, "‘Separate and unequal’: South L.A.'s MLK hospital faces crisis on top of crisis," 1 Jan. 2021 With a return to in-person learning expected early in 2021, the Oak Park and River Forest High School board has approved the hiring of up to 65 temporary positions to assist with the school’s hybrid learning plan.
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Steve Schering, chicagotribune.com, "OPRF High School board approves classroom monitors for in-person learning," 31 Dec. 2020 In turn, the Center would use the funds to manage the day-to-operations of NamUs, including offering free forensic services to assist with cases.
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Michael Schulson/undark, Popular Science, "Our best missing persons database could disappear in a few months," 28 Dec. 2020 Pharmacies and other large providers were asked Thursday to reach out to smaller health-care offices to assist with vaccinating Phase 1A workers.
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Nataly Keomoungkhoun, Dallas News, "When and where could I get a COVID-19 vaccine in Texas?," 28 Dec. 2020 About 900 medical staff have been sent to San Antonio hospitals to assist with the surge, and Mayor Ron Nirenberg said health care systems are working to calibrate their capacity, including in intensive care units.
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Lauren Caruba, ExpressNews.com, "San Antonio’s coronavirus positivity rate spikes to 19.2 percent as COVID-19 hospitalizations approach summer levels," 28 Dec. 2020 Mack sent a letter to Trump to assist with shortening her granddaughter’s sentence, according to several reports.
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Tim Darnell, ajc, "Sens. Perdue, Loeffler calling for leniency for teen jailed in Caymans," 27 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Smithson Valley’s Jasmin Dominguez had four goals and one assist in three matches at the Ranger Classic.
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David Hinojosa, ExpressNews.com, "Girls soccer: Madison’s Izabelle Hernandez named Player of the Week," 11 Jan. 2021 The best of best was when the Warriors got the hockey or Gretzky assist.
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Rusty Simmons, SFChronicle.com, "Warriors’ avalanche of assists recalls title teamwork," 4 Jan. 2021 The excellent Gundogan struck first in the 18th minute, turning neatly to fire home from the edge of the area after a clever assist from Foden.
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Paul Gittings, CNN, "Covid-hit Manchester City cruises to win at struggling Chelsea," 3 Jan. 2021 Junior Maggie Milne, who centers the Cougars’ first line, recorded a hat trick in the opener against Archbishop Williams and freshman left wing Kathleen Simmons (3 goals, 1 assist) scored twice against St. Joseph Prep/Mount Alvernia on Monday.
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Brandon Chase, BostonGlobe.com, "In era of social distancing, Natalie Flynn pulling things together at alma mater Arlington Catholic," 30 Dec. 2020 Marc Gasol, whose passing cut apart the Minnesota Timberwolves’ defense the previous night, couldn’t deal out a single assist.
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Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, "Little comes easily for Lakers as they lose to Trail Blazers, drop to 2-2," 28 Dec. 2020 On Saturday night, Payton missed all six of his shot attempts and had a single assist.
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Stefan Bondy, courant.com, "Payton leads Knicks to rout of Bucks for first victory under Thibodeau," 27 Dec. 2020 Cade Borchardt had two goals and two assists for the host Mavericks (3-1) in the WCHA game while teammate Julian Napravnik added two goals and one assist.
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Star Tribune, "Friday's college hockey roundup," 19 Dec. 2020 Windler tallied 11 points to go with two rebounds and one assist in 17 minutes before exiting.
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Chris Fedor, cleveland, "Dylan Windler ‘fine’ after injury scare forces him to exit third preseason game early," 17 Dec. 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'assist.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for assist
assist
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of assist
: to give support or help : to make it easier for someone to do something or for something to happen
See the full definition for assist in the English Language Learners Dictionary
assist
verbas·sist | \ ə-ˈsist \
\assisted; assisting
Kids Definition of assist
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to give support or help
He assisted his mother in preparing dinner.
assist
nounKids Definition of assist (Entry 2 of 2)
: an act of supporting or helping
I finished my chores with an assist from my friends.
assist
transitive verbas·sist | \ ə-ˈsist \
\Medical Definition of assist
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to give usually supplementary support or aid to
assist the patient up the stairs assist respiration mechanically
: to give support or aid
assist
nounMedical Definition of assist (Entry 2 of 2)
: an act or procedure that provides assistance external pressure circulatory assist employs compression of the lower extremities— P. W. Wright
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Time Traveler for assist
The first known use of assist was in the 15th century
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