task 1 of 2

task

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verb

as in to entrust
to give a task, duty, or responsibility to I have been tasked by the host with bringing the pies for Thanksgiving this year

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun task contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of task are assignment, chore, duty, job, and stint. While all these words mean "a piece of work to be done," task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance.

charged with a variety of tasks

When can assignment be used instead of task?

The words assignment and task can be used in similar contexts, but assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority.

a reporter's assignment

When might chore be a better fit than task?

While in some cases nearly identical to task, chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm.

every child was assigned chores

When would duty be a good substitute for task?

The meanings of duty and task largely overlap; however, duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance.

the duties of a lifeguard

Where would job be a reasonable alternative to task?

The synonyms job and task are sometimes interchangeable, but job applies to a piece of work voluntarily performed; it may sometimes suggest difficulty or importance.

the job of turning the company around

In what contexts can stint take the place of task?

While the synonyms stint and task are close in meaning, stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service.

a 2-month stint as a reporter

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 task
Noun
An attachment to the machine sprayed the plaster, specifically mixed on-site and fed to the printer, covering large swaths of the walls and accelerating the time needed for the task. Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 8 Nov. 2025 At a distance, emulating the success of household names can feel like a herculean task. Preston Fore, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
Oded Fehr was Ardeth Bay, leader of the sacred guards tasked with protecting the City of the Dead. Andrew Walsh, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Nov. 2025 Tasters were tasked with ranking each of the pies on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest. Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for task
Recent Examples of Synonyms for task
Noun
  • Essentially, your job is to compile a paper trail that proves your chain of heritage going back to your grandparent is intact.
    Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 11 Nov. 2025
  • The head of the air traffic controllers union emphasized this week that the controllers were not walking off the job as part of an organized protest and were committed to their work.
    Dave Smith, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The wins over Villa and Madrid were achieved with Andy Robertson restored at left-back, at the expense of new signing Milos Kerkez, and with Dominik Szoboszlai bringing more balance and physical presence by reprising last season’s advanced-midfield role.
    Oliver Kay, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Because he was getting agitated by the role.
    Leo Barraclough, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • His solo debut, Barbarian, made more than $45 million on a budget of less than $5 million, and now Warners was entrusting the actor turned director with a movie costing eight times that.
    David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2025
  • As Wright’s stature rose, he became entrusted with bigger budgets from major studios.
    Jordan Moreau, Variety, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • At the time, the 56-year-old was given the go-ahead to continue his coaching duties during his treatment.
    Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2025
  • To garrison those vulnerable treasure houses, Britain had to reassign regiments from tours of duty in North America and abandon Philadelphia, the biggest prize the redcoats had taken so far.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • However, this approach defeats the primary purpose of insurance, which is to protect against catastrophic costs in the event of an unexpected medical crisis.
    Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Grief pressed in, but so did purpose.
    Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Tomas Jimenez-Guzel, 19, of Montclair, New Jersey, and Saed Mirreh, 19, of Kent, Washington, were arrested this week in a New Jersey case tied to others already charged in Michigan.
    Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Cincinnati charged back from a 31-10 second-quarter deficit, down 44-38 with about 90 seconds left.
    The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Daniel McFadin is a general assignment reporter who has been with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette since October 2022.
    Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2025
  • The 29-year-old outfielder left the Baltimore organization last offseason after just one big-league plate appearance, but returned in a waiver claim in August after he was designated for assignment by the San Francisco Giants.
    Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The functions of enforcing immigration law and collecting tariffs and customs duties stayed separate until shortly after the September 11 terror attacks, when a push to consolidate more agencies under the new Department of Homeland Security created Customs and Border Protection in 2003.
    Andy Rose 19 hr ago, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2025
  • The closing of Disney’s acquisition of 70% of Fubo, which is continuing to operate as a separate service, though with many business functions merged with those of Hulu Live, was announced on the eve of the YouTube TV deadline.
    Dade Hayes, Deadline, 9 Nov. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Task.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/task. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.

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