1
as in ascribes
to explain (something) as being the result of something else
attributed the quick rescue to the well-trained police force
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Relevance
2
as in explains
to give the reason for or cause of
a psychotherapist who's a little too quick to attribute every emotional problem or character defect to an unhappy childhood
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in characteristics
something that sets apart an individual from others of the same kind
list the attributes of a mammal
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of attributes
Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 9 May 2026
The staff attributes the sharp jump largely to riders, or costs added to bills after the general rate is authorized.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
College football adopts some NFL attributes Such moves represent a shift in college football.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2026
But the negative stereotypes persisted, which Levine attributes to selective readings of the New Testament and a lack of knowledge of first-century Jewish history.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
His former position coach Ja’Juan Seider attributes that to Price being a student of the game who is interested in learning all that goes into bringing a call to life, not just his role in the play.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 4 May 2026
While the Air Force and Space Force have met their 2026 recruiting targets ahead of schedule, the Pentagon attributes much of the military recruiting shortfall to a smaller pool of qualified applicants.
—Emily Guskin, ABC News, 1 May 2026
The Charlotte diocese attributes some of its growth to the region’s growing population overall, especially folks moving in from more traditionally Catholic areas such as the Northeast, Midwest and Latin American countries, Chandler said.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026
PennDOT attributes the decrease in deaths to infrastructure improvements and initiatives like enforcement and education campaigns.
—Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 9 May 2026
Berterame came to help the team and has incredible physical attributes.
—Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
The Blue Jackets will certainly listen to offers for this pick, but a player like Hemming — big frame, powerful skater, nose for the net — has attributes that any club would like to add to its mix.
—The Athletic Nhl Staff, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Eighty-five percent of the cotton sourced by the company’s denim division has sustainable attributes.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 4 May 2026
While not the fastest nor sportiest luxury EV SUV, the Mercedes-Benz showcases the enduring carmaker’s best attributes.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 1 May 2026
Durability has been one of Glesnes’ attributes since arriving in MLS.
—Damian Calhoun, Daily News, 1 May 2026
Steller sea lions are separated into Western and Eastern populations and are differentiated by physical and genetic attributes.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Political messianism is a style of leadership that places great faith in a single leader who is endowed with godlike attributes.
—Austin Sarat, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
Hotez attributes this to humans increasingly interacting with wildlife and their habitats, including through urbanization and deforestation.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 9 May 2026
The staff attributes the sharp jump largely to riders, or costs added to bills after the general rate is authorized.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
College football adopts some NFL attributes Such moves represent a shift in college football.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2026
But the negative stereotypes persisted, which Levine attributes to selective readings of the New Testament and a lack of knowledge of first-century Jewish history.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
His former position coach Ja’Juan Seider attributes that to Price being a student of the game who is interested in learning all that goes into bringing a call to life, not just his role in the play.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 4 May 2026
While the Air Force and Space Force have met their 2026 recruiting targets ahead of schedule, the Pentagon attributes much of the military recruiting shortfall to a smaller pool of qualified applicants.
—Emily Guskin, ABC News, 1 May 2026
The Charlotte diocese attributes some of its growth to the region’s growing population overall, especially folks moving in from more traditionally Catholic areas such as the Northeast, Midwest and Latin American countries, Chandler said.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026
PennDOT attributes the decrease in deaths to infrastructure improvements and initiatives like enforcement and education campaigns.
—Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
The bongos are shy and can camouflage despite their distinct white stripes, and these attributes are critical for their survival in the wild.
—ABC News, 9 May 2026
Berterame came to help the team and has incredible physical attributes.
—Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
The Blue Jackets will certainly listen to offers for this pick, but a player like Hemming — big frame, powerful skater, nose for the net — has attributes that any club would like to add to its mix.
—The Athletic Nhl Staff, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Eighty-five percent of the cotton sourced by the company’s denim division has sustainable attributes.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 4 May 2026
While not the fastest nor sportiest luxury EV SUV, the Mercedes-Benz showcases the enduring carmaker’s best attributes.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 1 May 2026
Durability has been one of Glesnes’ attributes since arriving in MLS.
—Damian Calhoun, Daily News, 1 May 2026
Steller sea lions are separated into Western and Eastern populations and are differentiated by physical and genetic attributes.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Political messianism is a style of leadership that places great faith in a single leader who is endowed with godlike attributes.
—Austin Sarat, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attributes
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Brewer ascribes Starbucks’ success in Italy, where even the average person is a coffee connoisseur, to offering people, especially young people, a place to relax and enjoy a coffee.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
29 Jan. 2026
-
This breakup analysis ascribes no value to the companies being under the same corporate parent.—
Peter Cohan,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Aubrey explains that discussing difficult topics openly has become a central part of the podcast’s purpose, particularly when those topics are often avoided in everyday conversation.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
Advertisement Travers explains that this has consequences for the whole of British politics, as its parliamentary system is not designed to host a wide range of parties.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Among the more unusual succulents Kent has are crested plants — mutations of plants that give them unusual shapes and other characteristics.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
That realization has led some investors to examine assets with different characteristics.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Silverman, who encountered the British original due to his parents, credits Tuccillo as instrumental to his vision of the show manifesting into reality.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
8 May 2026
-
Simmons helped Flaherty get started in scouting players for 247Sports; Flaherty credits him for helping lead him to his current position.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
These are the same issues being raised across rural Texas as the state’s business-friendly environment and lack of regulations — the same qualities that attract many to country life — fuel an expansion of server farms from the Panhandle to the Valley.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 May 2026
-
As the name indicates, it was intended for wear on boats but wound up being widely adopted by skaters because its deck-gripping qualities proved just as useful for sticking to boards.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
For character traits, officials look for tenacity, an unbridled love to pull and run as part of a team, and social skills.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
Loyalty and purity of heart are beautiful traits that many, many people on this earth have.—
Goth Shakira
Contributing,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
For example, the power output of the laser is not publicly disclosed, as well as other key features like its cooling setup, battery capacity, etc.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
9 May 2026
-
Update to the latest version to see all Vogue content, as well as new features like our Runway Genius quiz, Group Chats, and posts from Vogue contributors.—
Rebecca Cope,
Vogue,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Political discussions on social media are often dominated by competing attributions of more and more insidious motives to people on the other side.—
Mark Schroeder,
The Conversation,
20 Feb. 2026
-
This post was corrected on 21 January 2021 to clarify attributions.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
12 Jan. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Attributes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attributes. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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