as in wary
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1
as in accepting
to take to or upon oneself
we promised to assume responsibility for any damage to the flower beds caused by the volleyball game in the backyard
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in saying
to take as true or as a fact without actual proof
everyone assumed, wrongly, that someone else was bringing dessert
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in guessing
to form an opinion from little or no evidence
as I just assumed it was too late to go out, I didn't think to ask
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in pretending
to present a false appearance of
she assumed an air of nonchalance even though she was wildly ecstatic she was going on the date
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5
as in employing
to provide with a paying job
assumed as partner by the prestigious law firm
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of assuming
Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 6 Jan. 2026
Launching a military operation and then assuming responsibility for governance shifts Washington toward a closed, coercive model of power – one that relies on force to establish authority and is prohibitively costly to sustain over time.
—Monica Duffy Toft, The Conversation, 5 Jan. 2026
Pierce was eventually the hire in the offseason, assuming the role full-time in hopes the Raiders continued to rally around his forward style of coaching that was highlighted by aggressive play.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 5 Jan. 2026
Trump has been engaged in a bitter feud with his Colombian counterpart since assuming office, with the two clashing on topics ranging from deportations to drugs.
—Alfie Pannell, Miami Herald, 5 Jan. 2026
The president seems determined to act differently in Venezuela by assuming control of Venezuelan oil as part of his planned administration of the country.
—Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 5 Jan. 2026
Maybe there’s some wink-winking, nudge-nudging going on, with one side or the other assuming an unspoken deal has been cut.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 4 Jan. 2026
As a result, Kansas City will rely on Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt to continue sharing the load in the offensive backfield down the stretch of the season and into the playoffs -- assuming the Chiefs earn a place there come January.
—Max Dible, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2025
And that’s assuming that China, already Saudi’s biggest trade partner, doesn’t also look to partner with the kingdom on its metals ambitions and play spoiler to the West’s goal of creating an alternative.
—Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
In estimating that online sales would result in overall annual profits of about $30-90 million, the Legislative Services Agency is assuming there would be an accompanying decrease in retail lottery sales.
—Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 6 Jan. 2026
Launching a military operation and then assuming responsibility for governance shifts Washington toward a closed, coercive model of power – one that relies on force to establish authority and is prohibitively costly to sustain over time.
—Monica Duffy Toft, The Conversation, 5 Jan. 2026
Pierce was eventually the hire in the offseason, assuming the role full-time in hopes the Raiders continued to rally around his forward style of coaching that was highlighted by aggressive play.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 5 Jan. 2026
Trump has been engaged in a bitter feud with his Colombian counterpart since assuming office, with the two clashing on topics ranging from deportations to drugs.
—Alfie Pannell, Miami Herald, 5 Jan. 2026
The president seems determined to act differently in Venezuela by assuming control of Venezuelan oil as part of his planned administration of the country.
—Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 5 Jan. 2026
Maybe there’s some wink-winking, nudge-nudging going on, with one side or the other assuming an unspoken deal has been cut.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 4 Jan. 2026
As a result, Kansas City will rely on Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt to continue sharing the load in the offensive backfield down the stretch of the season and into the playoffs -- assuming the Chiefs earn a place there come January.
—Max Dible, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2025
And that’s assuming that China, already Saudi’s biggest trade partner, doesn’t also look to partner with the kingdom on its metals ambitions and play spoiler to the West’s goal of creating an alternative.
—Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assuming
Adjective
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Hamilton, wary of France’s descent into chaos and its aggressive wars, contended that treaties are contracts with specific regimes, not eternal bonds irrespective of change.—
Daniel Ross Goodman,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
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As measles outbreaks flared up across the US last year, causing a record number of cases, Scott Thorpe kept a wary eye on Spartanburg County, South Carolina.—
Deidre McPhillips,
CNN Money,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Marine officers also said accepting women would lead to greater risk, meaning more Marine combat casualties.—
Tom Bowman,
NPR,
6 Jan. 2026
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Hawke paid tribute to his late friend and recalled one of their very first moments together while accepting the Career Achievement Award at the Palm Springs Film Awards over the weekend.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Reyes defended the compensation, saying it was negotiated in good faith.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
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But Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other officials disputed the DHS claims, saying videos showed the woman driving away from agents, not aiming at them.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Instead of guessing what to try first, Basin set me up for success from the start and offered me an overview of each treatment and the benefit of a thermotherapy circuit.—
Meaghan Kenny,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Jan. 2026
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Also, there’s value in keeping people guessing.—
Nicole Fell,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Parents reported that their children loved playing with the original Nékojita FuFu, pretending to fan their faces and blow-dry their hair.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Jan. 2026
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How naïve must Trump be to believe that Putin cares about Ukraine’s well-being after invading it, killing thousands of its people, kidnapping tens of thousands of Ukrainian children back to Russia, and continuing to bomb civilian apartment buildings while pretending to negotiate a peace deal?—
Tom Zirpoli,
Baltimore Sun,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Russia has been pounding Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with drones and missiles in recent weeks, employing a tactic used in previous winters.—
Daria Tarasova-Markina,
CNN Money,
2 Jan. 2026
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Local productions shifted away from sweeping narratives toward stories reflecting everyday life, employing diverse visual styles and genres to meet varied audience preferences.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
1 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This trend accelerated in December as the flag state emerged as a critical shield against drone strikes and vessel seizures.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
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The musical movies have received critical acclaim, and the second film earned five total nominations at this year's Globes — one more than the 2025 Golden Globes.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But Vance Joseph's unit adjusted and stiffened quickly, shouldering the entire weight of a football game.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
7 Nov. 2025
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Meanwhile, individual coverage topped $9,300, on average, this year, up 5% – with employees shouldering $1,440 of the cost and employers paying the rest.—
Tami Luhby,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Assuming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assuming. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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