1
as in ascribing
to explain (something) as being the result of something else
attributed the quick rescue to the well-trained police force
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in explaining
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
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 attributing
The Only Murders in the Building star previously addressed speculation about changes in her appearance and mannerisms, attributing the differences to her ongoing battle with lupus and her bipolar disorder diagnosis.
—
Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 2 Apr. 2026
The petition cited recently enacted or attempted men’s sports program cuts at California Baptist, East Tennessee State and Clemson, attributing them squarely to the policy.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is in good health and leading the country, an Iranian official said today, attributing his absence from public view to security concerns.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
For Koch, the surge of people attributing consciousness to their chatbots is no amusing matter.
—Shai Tubali, Big Think, 27 Mar. 2026
Executives at the energy companies are attributing the success to the legal work of a handful of corporate law firms, including Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Jackson Walker, Kirkland & Ellis, Baker Botts, Vinson & Elkins and Susman Godfrey.
—Mark Curriden, Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 2026
Red flags worth walking away from include dismissing symptoms without investigation, attributing everything to stress or anxiety, discouraging second opinions and making patients feel rushed.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
Liuying Cao of Parallax Films China says FilMart proved far more productive than the Berlin European Film Market, attributing the shift to economic conditions that are driving more Asian buyers toward regional events.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Mar. 2026
During lockdown, when a new generation of Discord-dwelling shitposters came of age, the idea of attributing a musical form to the digital world felt more plausible.
—Pitchfork, 20 Mar. 2026
Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 2 Apr. 2026
The petition cited recently enacted or attempted men’s sports program cuts at California Baptist, East Tennessee State and Clemson, attributing them squarely to the policy.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is in good health and leading the country, an Iranian official said today, attributing his absence from public view to security concerns.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
For Koch, the surge of people attributing consciousness to their chatbots is no amusing matter.
—Shai Tubali, Big Think, 27 Mar. 2026
Executives at the energy companies are attributing the success to the legal work of a handful of corporate law firms, including Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Jackson Walker, Kirkland & Ellis, Baker Botts, Vinson & Elkins and Susman Godfrey.
—Mark Curriden, Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 2026
Red flags worth walking away from include dismissing symptoms without investigation, attributing everything to stress or anxiety, discouraging second opinions and making patients feel rushed.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
Liuying Cao of Parallax Films China says FilMart proved far more productive than the Berlin European Film Market, attributing the shift to economic conditions that are driving more Asian buyers toward regional events.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Mar. 2026
During lockdown, when a new generation of Discord-dwelling shitposters came of age, the idea of attributing a musical form to the digital world felt more plausible.
—Pitchfork, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attributing
Verb
-
Wednesday’s verdict in Los Angeles on the ninth day of jury deliberations shows the difficulty of ascribing how much social media is to blame for youths suffering varying degrees of distress.—
Bloomberg,
Bloomberg,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The actress is cautious in ascribing too much power to her position.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
15 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Jacqueline Ferrara, a Garland Police Department forensic biology and DNA analyst, testified remotely, explaining how evidence in this case was collected and tested at a Texas Department of Public Safety crime lab in early 2023.—
Lauren Crawford,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
While inside the bank, Connie secretly begged for help by writing a note explaining the situation and giving it to the bank teller.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Vergata’s remains were not even officially identified until a month after Heuermann’s arrest, with investigators crediting advancements in technology for their break in the case.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
An Olivehurst man was sentenced to 55 years to life in prison for raping a 10-year-old girl, prosecutors said, crediting the victim’s testimony with helping secure the conviction.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Consistently, independent polls showed the opposition with a sizable lead, but Western diplomats in Budapest cautioned me not to underestimate Orbán’s ability to mobilize voters at the last moment, or to manufacture circumstances justifying a state of emergency.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
12 Apr. 2026
-
In the meantime, Varsity faces a Thursday deadline to submit arguments justifying why, at its insistence, a bulk of the docket to date has been filed under seal.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Attributing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attributing. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
