assume

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb assume contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of assume are affect, counterfeit, feign, pretend, sham, and simulate. While all these words mean "to put on a false or deceptive appearance," assume often implies a justifiable motive rather than an intent to deceive.

assumed an air of cheerfulness around the patients

When would affect be a good substitute for assume?

The words affect and assume are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, affect implies making a false show of possessing, using, or feeling.

affected an interest in art

In what contexts can counterfeit take the place of assume?

In some situations, the words counterfeit and assume are roughly equivalent. However, counterfeit implies achieving the highest degree of verisimilitude of any of these words.

an actor counterfeiting drunkenness

How does the word feign relate to other synonyms for assume?

Feign implies more artful invention than pretend, less specific mimicry than simulate.

feigned sickness

When is it sensible to use pretend instead of assume?

While in some cases nearly identical to assume, pretend implies an overt and sustained false appearance.

pretended that nothing had happened

When is sham a more appropriate choice than assume?

The words sham and assume can be used in similar contexts, but sham implies an obvious falseness that fools only the gullible.

shammed a most unconvincing limp

When might simulate be a better fit than assume?

The synonyms simulate and assume are sometimes interchangeable, but simulate suggests a close imitation of the appearance of something.

cosmetics that simulate a suntan

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 assume Ortega also explained that her age makes people assume an inaccurate sense of naiveté. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 28 May 2025 In order to be approved for any of those products, a borrower needs a strong credit profile, and the willingness and ability to assume more debt. Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 18 May 2025 States like Florida could be forced to assume billions in costs for health care and disaster preparedness. Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 17 May 2025 For decades, many researchers assumed the virus emerged in pigs. John Drake, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for assume
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assume
Verb
  • Operating engineers make $10K United Way donation United Way Northwest Indiana recently accepted a $10,000 donation from the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 during a special check presentation ceremony, according to a release.
    Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 26 May 2025
  • In January, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York sentenced former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) to 11 years in prison after he was found to have accepted bribes to take action to benefit the governments of Qatar and Egypt.
    Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 25 May 2025
Verb
  • In fact, the actress said that her friend might be a little too invested.
    Michael Nied, People.com, 20 May 2025
  • The witness allegedly overheard the friend say that Lanez didn’t shoot the three-time Grammy winner.
    Anna Chan, Billboard, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • And leadership is left guessing where the money is leaking.
    Sally Ragab, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
  • Participants looked at composite face images created from using images of individuals with extremely high or low scores on personality inventories, and participants were asked to guess which face had more of a particular trait.
    Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
Verb
  • That’s the point of him; as the Mission: Impossible franchise’s secret agent extraordinaire, Hunt can pretend to be anyone, accomplish basically any physical task, and uncover conspiracies with aplomb.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 23 May 2025
  • That old man was Trump—who had just been hospitalized with COVID-19, but was pretending that everything was fine—and yet the column was about America’s gerontocracy as a whole, and what Smith suggested was an unsustainable media omertà around it.
    Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 23 May 2025
Verb
  • As of March 2025, Burberry employed approximately 8,700 people, nearly 500 fewer than the 9,200 employed in 2024.
    Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
  • China has been employing its navy to further expand its military reach and presence, challenging America's naval dominance in the Pacific Ocean.
    Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
Verb
  • Vietnamese manufacturers attending the event told Sourcing Journal about their fears that global brands would pressure them to shoulder the costs of tariff impacts, while underlining the need to protect workers as the apparel industry in Vietnam employs more than three million people.
    Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 22 May 2025
  • The coach shouldered the blame for the team’s slump.
    Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • Experts also questioned why the pilot, presumed to be music agent David Shapiro, even attempted the cross-country journey from New Jersey overnight with only a 45-minute stop for fuel in Kansas.
    Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2025
  • There are still 58 hostages held captive by Hamas, 20 of whom are presumed to be alive.
    Morgan Winsor, ABC News, 24 May 2025
Verb
  • The aviation website One Mile at a Time reported the United jet made a sharp turn to the left instead of turning right, as it was supposed to.
    Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 30 May 2025
  • The video overlay text explained that the group of passengers was headed supposed to be headed from Naples to Atlanta, but their flight was canceled after over seven hours of delays.
    Charna Flam, People.com, 30 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Assume.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assume. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

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