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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in employing
to provide with a paying job
assumed as partner by the prestigious law firm
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in wary
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of assuming
Sudiksha Kochi, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
Players today come into the league rightly assuming that audiences for professional women’s sports are there.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
Mets fans will likely be glad to see the back of Helsley, assuming their team's front office doesn't count on a bounce-back.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Trump’s plan envisions the Palestinian Authority, the governing body in the West Bank, assuming control over Gaza only after radical reforms.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 3 Oct. 2025
First introduced in The Clone Wars, Anakin Skywalker's Jedi apprentice finally made her live-action debut in season 2 of The Mandalorian, with Rosario Dawson assuming the role with cool confidence.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2025
But Shetty cautions against assuming a constant upward curve.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
The doting parents of three named their daughter, Rocki Irish, with many fans assuming that her first name was an obvious nod to her father’s stage name, while her middle name is a tribute to her late grandfather.
—Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 25 Sep. 2025
But this approach manages to frame the situation in a neutral way, without assuming your neighbor was deliberately trying to disturb you, says Larry Schooler, a professor of conflict resolution at the University of Texas at Austin.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
With all members present, Johnson can currently only afford to lose two Republican votes on any bill, assuming all Democrats are opposed.
—Sudiksha Kochi, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
Players today come into the league rightly assuming that audiences for professional women’s sports are there.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
Mets fans will likely be glad to see the back of Helsley, assuming their team's front office doesn't count on a bounce-back.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Trump’s plan envisions the Palestinian Authority, the governing body in the West Bank, assuming control over Gaza only after radical reforms.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 3 Oct. 2025
First introduced in The Clone Wars, Anakin Skywalker's Jedi apprentice finally made her live-action debut in season 2 of The Mandalorian, with Rosario Dawson assuming the role with cool confidence.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2025
But Shetty cautions against assuming a constant upward curve.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
The doting parents of three named their daughter, Rocki Irish, with many fans assuming that her first name was an obvious nod to her father’s stage name, while her middle name is a tribute to her late grandfather.
—Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 25 Sep. 2025
But this approach manages to frame the situation in a neutral way, without assuming your neighbor was deliberately trying to disturb you, says Larry Schooler, a professor of conflict resolution at the University of Texas at Austin.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assuming
Verb
-
Head coach Aaron Glenn cost the Jets a TD on the first drive by accepting a penalty to make it 2nd-and-goal at the 3-yard line instead of declining and taking 3rd-and-goal at the 1-yard line.—
Michael Salfino,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Faith had written a message on the mirror, accepting his proposal.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Israel's retaliatory offensive has displaced around 90% of Gaza's population of some 2 million, often multiple times, and restrictions on humanitarian aid have contributed to a severe hunger crisis, with experts saying Gaza City is experiencing famine.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
8 Oct. 2025
-
As per the custom with these annual lineup announcements, the Hall is not saying which figures will be presenting and which will be performing, or who will be feting who.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Despite advances in technology, some people still believe myths about guessing the baby’s gender during pregnancy.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
-
And in the absence of clear answers as to what those new rules are, there’s plenty of guessing going on.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
According to the outlet and several videos circulating on social media, Mojito tricked pedestrians by pretending to inject them with a syringe in a series of viral videos.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
-
In the end, no one was pretending, unless pretense paid the bills.—
Lavender Au,
The Dial,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Consumers are also increasing their use of buy-now, pay-later programs, and shopping retailers employing AI more to personalize shopping offers and generate gift ideas.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
2 Oct. 2025
-
There are several methods to get rid of mice, besides adopting a cat or employing Little Bunny Foo Foo to bop them on the head, of course.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The charges were filed despite reports that prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia were wary of the case’s merit.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
8 Oct. 2025
-
But the new prices that hit Wednesday morning — along with some of the best discount offers in years — suggest the media and entertainment giant is being strategic in a year when no brand-new rides are likely to open, and many guests feel wary about the economy overall.—
Natasha Chen,
CNN Money,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Supervisor Lucas Frerichs also voiced his frustration over the county shouldering these hefty costs.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Asked who is shouldering the cost of tariffs, the average respondent says 31% is paid by the consumer, 29% by wholesalers and importers, and 23% by retailers.—
Steve Liesman,
CNBC,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Storage and safe transport back to Earth, presuming governments and markets decide that bringing helium-3 home is economical, adds further complexity.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Add the stout defense and manageable schedule — and presuming the kicking game does not implode — and the Golden Bears have a better chance to clear Rivera’s victory bar than anyone could have imagined a few weeks ago.—
Jon Wilner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Assuming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assuming. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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