as in to attribute
to explain (something) as being the result of something else ascribed their stunning military victory to good intelligence beforehand

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Some common synonyms of ascribe are assign, attribute, credit, and impute. While all these words mean "to lay something to the account of a person or thing," ascribe suggests an inferring or conjecturing of cause, quality, authorship.

forged paintings formerly ascribed to masters

When could assign be used to replace ascribe?

The words assign and ascribe are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, assign implies ascribing with certainty or after deliberation.

assigned the bones to the Cretaceous period

How is attribute related to other words for ascribe?

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

attributed to Rembrandt but possibly done by an associate

When would credit be a good substitute for ascribe?

Although the words credit and ascribe have much in common, 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

Where would impute be a reasonable alternative to ascribe?

While the synonyms impute and ascribe are close in meaning, 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 ascribe The fact that people (including Gen Zers) overwhelmingly reject entering the machine reveals that humans ascribe fundamental value to authenticity. Rafael Perez, Oc Register, 16 Aug. 2025 Marco Rubio, then five days into his tenure as Secretary of State, ascribed the release of the prisoner to Trump’s leadership and, in a tweet, thanked Smith for facilitating it. Simon Shuster, Time, 8 Aug. 2025 Poor luck plagued him, but ascribing all of this outing to misfortune is misguided. Chandler Rome, New York Times, 7 Aug. 2025 Shifts in language and attitude are usually the first signs your son may be ascribing to red pill ideology. Sherri Gordon, Parents, 29 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for ascribe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ascribe
attribute
Verb
  • The college attributed increasing nonparticipating student counts to improved methods of tracking student participation.
    Edward McKinnon, Arkansas Online, 4 Sep. 2025
  • An incident report submitted to the state by Energy Transfer attributed the pipeline failure to a technician’s errors.
    ProPublica, ProPublica, 4 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ascribe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ascribe. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on ascribe

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