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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Synonym Chooser

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 latest results show the trend exists across demographic groups, even as some groups are slightly less likely to ascribe meaningful differences to the political parties. Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 2 June 2025 With an Apple account solely dedicated to your Apple TV box and Apple TV hardware and software tracking disabled as much as possible, Apple would have minimal data to ascribe to you as an Apple TV owner. ArsTechnica, 1 June 2025 While the play is an ensemble piece, Sink’s character comes in like a wrecking ball who takes aim at the moral authority ascribed to the character of John Proctor in The Crucible as well as the systems set up to protect men around her. Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 29 May 2025 Bloomsbury’s members believed that the individual’s experience and sensation—and not an exhaustive representation of material reality—ascribed art its value. Jenny Noyce, JSTOR Daily, 14 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for ascribe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ascribe
attribute
Verb
  • Forty-two lightning deaths have been reported in Texas since 2006, second only to Florida, where 93 deaths have been attributed to lightning over the same time span.
    Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 23 June 2025
  • The heat can be attributed to an upper-level ridge of high pressure over the eastern United States that’s causing surface temperatures to increase, Belak said.
    Irit Skulnik, Baltimore Sun, 23 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ascribe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ascribe. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on ascribe

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