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
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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
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Recent Examples of attributing
What's really behind the baby bust The reasons Americans choose not to have children are hotly debated in academic circles, with many attributing America’s baby bust to shifting priorities and societal norms.
—
Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
But attributing everything to the turnovers overlooks the fact that Michigan has thrown for fewer than 150 yards in back-to-back games against two of the worst teams in the Big Ten.
—Austin Meek, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
The book is a product of an era when attributing credit to servants of any kind would not have been expected, but times have changed.
—Adrian Miller, Southern Living, 28 Oct. 2025
Android Authority points out that a glut of similar reports appeared in 2021, but the issue was quickly resolved, with Google attributing the problem to Microsoft Teams’ configuration on the Pixel devices in question.
—PC Magazine, 25 Oct. 2025
After disputes are resolved, accounting and auditing guidelines for attributing future compliance costs to the case will be established, the judge said in an order filed alongside the audit.
—Richard Ruelas, AZCentral.com, 22 Oct. 2025
The segment missed expectations last quarter, with management attributing the weakness to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) destocking.
—Zev Fima,kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2025
Screening is key Across all ages, colorectal cancer cases and related deaths in the US have been declining for decades, Ng said, attributing that success to improvements in treatment and public health efforts to promote screening.
—Andrea Kane, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Those investments have already begun to pay off, as Walmart reported a 26 percent growth in e-commerce sales in the second quarter of 2025, attributing the gains in part to faster delivery speeds.
—Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 6 Oct. 2025
Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
But attributing everything to the turnovers overlooks the fact that Michigan has thrown for fewer than 150 yards in back-to-back games against two of the worst teams in the Big Ten.
—Austin Meek, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
The book is a product of an era when attributing credit to servants of any kind would not have been expected, but times have changed.
—Adrian Miller, Southern Living, 28 Oct. 2025
Android Authority points out that a glut of similar reports appeared in 2021, but the issue was quickly resolved, with Google attributing the problem to Microsoft Teams’ configuration on the Pixel devices in question.
—PC Magazine, 25 Oct. 2025
After disputes are resolved, accounting and auditing guidelines for attributing future compliance costs to the case will be established, the judge said in an order filed alongside the audit.
—Richard Ruelas, AZCentral.com, 22 Oct. 2025
The segment missed expectations last quarter, with management attributing the weakness to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) destocking.
—Zev Fima,kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2025
Screening is key Across all ages, colorectal cancer cases and related deaths in the US have been declining for decades, Ng said, attributing that success to improvements in treatment and public health efforts to promote screening.
—Andrea Kane, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Those investments have already begun to pay off, as Walmart reported a 26 percent growth in e-commerce sales in the second quarter of 2025, attributing the gains in part to faster delivery speeds.
—Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 6 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attributing
Verb
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Poor luck plagued him, but ascribing all of this outing to misfortune is misguided.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
7 Aug. 2025
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Over subsequent decades, this credo would face challenges, including from New Deal–era progressives wary of rich men ascribing to charity what was properly the realm of the state and of McCarthyite conservatives targeting philanthropic foundations as part of anticommunist fearmongering.—
Mark Malloch-Brown,
Foreign Affairs,
15 Jan. 2024
Verb
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The leader of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an organization that fights antisemitism, is explaining his group's decision to set up a special project to monitor Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City.—
NPR,
NPR,
7 Nov. 2025
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Ukraine knows about the value of culture as soft power and spends a lot of money explaining to the world what’s going on in their country.—
Annika Pham,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Jobs responds by crediting his teenage encounter with William Shakespeare’s King Lear.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
3 Nov. 2025
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In the four years since, Adams says they're both settled into the organization, crediting the kindness of the staff and fans.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Judge Ellis found that Bovino wasn’t hit in the head with a rock prior to deploying tear gas despite claims from the Department of Homeland Security justifying the use of force.—
Bill Kirkos,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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While working on the project, costs ballooned unexpectedly—reaching well over six figures—and this doctrine became an important reminder when justifying the expenses.—
Michelle Duncan,
Architectural Digest,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Attributing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attributing. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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