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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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
Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
On March 6, assuming all goes as planned, the artist will release Make-Up Is a Lie.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 20 Jan. 2026
Duklef was on the phone with him, expecting a call back soon, assuming he had been pulled over for some kind of driving infraction.
—Conor Wight, CBS News, 18 Jan. 2026
His victory was hailed as a seismic rewriting of the status quo in Chicago politics, but his administration’s setbacks since assuming office have emboldened the political old guard to argue that time’s up for the progressive experiment on the fifth floor of City Hall.
—Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
Ahead of that, the Duke of Sussex will host a one year to go celebration in July 2026—which, assuming their security is sorted, Meghan Markle could also attend.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 12 Jan. 2026
As previously established, city code permits those, assuming riders aren’t operating them recklessly.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Jan. 2026
Even if those increases eventually unwind, the impact will fall on households that have already been squeezed for decades, and many households are no longer assuming prices will fall back—they’ve been burned too often.
—Gene Ludwig, Fortune, 11 Jan. 2026
Some council members have expressed concern about assuming the expense as the city works to reduce budget deficits after closing a $1 billion shortfall and avoiding 1,600 layoffs.
—City News Service, Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
That is, of course, assuming the Warriors continue on their current trajectory of trying to assemble a championship-caliber supporting cast around Curry.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
On March 6, assuming all goes as planned, the artist will release Make-Up Is a Lie.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 20 Jan. 2026
Duklef was on the phone with him, expecting a call back soon, assuming he had been pulled over for some kind of driving infraction.
—Conor Wight, CBS News, 18 Jan. 2026
His victory was hailed as a seismic rewriting of the status quo in Chicago politics, but his administration’s setbacks since assuming office have emboldened the political old guard to argue that time’s up for the progressive experiment on the fifth floor of City Hall.
—Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
Ahead of that, the Duke of Sussex will host a one year to go celebration in July 2026—which, assuming their security is sorted, Meghan Markle could also attend.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 12 Jan. 2026
As previously established, city code permits those, assuming riders aren’t operating them recklessly.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Jan. 2026
Even if those increases eventually unwind, the impact will fall on households that have already been squeezed for decades, and many households are no longer assuming prices will fall back—they’ve been burned too often.
—Gene Ludwig, Fortune, 11 Jan. 2026
Some council members have expressed concern about assuming the expense as the city works to reduce budget deficits after closing a $1 billion shortfall and avoiding 1,600 layoffs.
—City News Service, Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assuming
Adjective
-
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
-
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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What matters now is whether organizations will continue accepting vendor lock-in as the price of operational simplicity or demand the architectural freedom that caters to the demands of modern workloads.—
Steve McDowell,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
-
The idea is that owners of businesses are above accepting tips, which are for underpaid workers, including barbers.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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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That attracts bigger tickets and more players as the mandatory payout with longer shot winners can equate to a massive payout for those guessing right.—
Danny Brewer,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Miss Manners is guessing that the first answer came from the owner of the barbershop.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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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The changes the department has made include employing a medical doctor who is an addiction medicine specialist, reviewing methadone induction protocols at all facilities and the suspension of methadone induction at Garner.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Hamspon is employing a simplified one-dimensional model to accelerate simulations while coupling thermodynamic and neutronic effects.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Welfare advocates, long highly critical of the San Jose animal shelter, are warning of a potential legal fight if the agency fails to improve animal care — accusing the city of neglect, gross negligence and repeating violations of state law.—
Devan Patel,
Mercury News,
14 Jan. 2026
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Construction plans indicate that China intends to demolish and rebuild a basement wall, placing officials and equipment just over three feet from critical fiber-optic cables.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Even facing arguably golf’s toughest test and shouldering enormous expectations, few would bet against Scheffler.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Jan. 2026
-
In Oklahoma, however, family caregivers are the ones shouldering the burden.—
Ben Fenwick,
Oklahoma Watch,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Assuming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assuming. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
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