Synonym Chooser

How does the noun duty contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of duty are assignment, chore, job, stint, and task. While all these words mean "a piece of work to be done," duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance.

the duties of a lifeguard

When is it sensible to use assignment instead of duty?

In some situations, the words assignment and duty are roughly equivalent. However, assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority.

a reporter's assignment

Where would chore be a reasonable alternative to duty?

The words chore and duty are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm.

every child was assigned chores

When could job be used to replace duty?

The synonyms job and duty are sometimes interchangeable, but job applies to a piece of work voluntarily performed; it may sometimes suggest difficulty or importance.

the job of turning the company around

In what contexts can stint take the place of duty?

The meanings of stint and duty largely overlap; however, stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service.

a 2-month stint as a reporter

When can task be used instead of duty?

Although the words task and duty have much in common, task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance.

charged with a variety of tasks

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 duty Earlier this week, the U.S. and China agreed to scale back trade barriers, reducing U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30%, while China agreed to lower its duties on American products from 125% to 10%. Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 May 2025 Texas Lawmakers Push to Enforce Election Transparency Law After Newsrooms Found School Districts Failed to Comply The EPA spokesperson said employees with more than 50% of their duties dedicated to either environmental justice work or DEI were targeted for layoffs. Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 16 May 2025 Those negotiations lowered the additional duty imposed on U.S. imports from China in 2025 from +145 to +30 percentage points. Sj Guest Editorial, Sourcing Journal, 16 May 2025 He was asked by Cardinal George to take a disciplinary leave of absence following the remarks, but shortly returned to his parish duties. Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for duty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for duty
Noun
  • But the tax bill would basically kill the two tax credits that have done the most to enable the surge of solar power.
    Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 24 May 2025
  • Tucked within President Donald Trump's massive tax and spending bill, which the House narrowly passed on Thursday, is a proposal to increase a tax that some universities pay on the investment returns of their endowments from 1.4% to as high as 21% for some of the most elite colleges in the country.
    Brad Brooks, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Noun
  • As a brewer, my father spent his days busied by every manner of task—boiling wort, cleaning barrels, keeping records.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 13 May 2025
  • But in jobs like software engineer, web designer and cashier, AI will take the tasks people have been doing and make people more productive by enabling them to complete more tasks throughout the workday.
    Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 13 May 2025
Noun
  • Small slivers of the population in cities, towns, and counties across the U.S., nearly every spring, are able to saddle their fellow residents with millions and in some cases billions of dollars worth of new tax and spending obligation.
    Patrick Gleason, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
  • Wyden demanded detailed answers by May 22, including which officials signed off on the dismissals and how the department plans to fulfill its legal obligations under FOIA moving forward.
    Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 18 May 2025
Noun
  • In addition, many of the job posted on giant job boards are out-of-date or ghost jobs, posted for a variety of reasons including EEO and creating the public perception that the company is thriving.
    Rebecca Fraser-Thill, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
  • With time, Dewan’s father eventually went back to school, got a solid state job, and worked at the post office and a hospital.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 24 May 2025
Noun
  • Your routines, responsibilities, employment or health could have all budded happily.
    Kyle Thomas, People.com, 18 May 2025
  • For more than a decade, the Communist Party of China has positioned itself as a vocal opponent of terrorism in global fora, invoking the language of stability, responsibility, and multilateral cooperation.
    Jianli Yang, National Review, 18 May 2025
Noun
  • Lowder suffered the loss in both, losing his start in Arizona to Clayton Kershaw, who was on a rehab assignment for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
    C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 12 May 2025
  • Here’s my exact approach to helping teens quickly, painlessly complete their missing assignments.
    Cyndy Etler, Hartford Courant, 12 May 2025
Noun
  • Some said the murders highlighted the need for more nuanced discussions about antisemitism in the United States and the ongoing Israeli Palestinian conflict.
    Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 23 May 2025
  • Vietnamese manufacturers attending the event told Sourcing Journal about their fears that global brands would pressure them to shoulder the costs of tariff impacts, while underlining the need to protect workers as the apparel industry in Vietnam employs more than three million people.
    Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 22 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Duty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/duty. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

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