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 Claudio Ubeda, Russo’s assistant coach, has been overseeing first-team managerial duties in Russo’s absence. Colin Millar, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025 Courts generally presume executive officials have properly discharged their duties, and defendants have the burden to show otherwise. Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025 So Voight, along with officers Kevin Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins) and Adam Ruzek (Patrick Flueger), were sent back to uniform street duty. Demetrius Patterson, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2025 Other duties include providing legal support when the agency is engaged in litigation in coordination with the attorney general and chief counsel. Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for duty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for duty
Noun
  • As tax dollars are reallocated from public school districts and families abandon those schools to learn at home or in private settings, the new department officials see little need for oversight.
    Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 8 Oct. 2025
  • An additional 2% hotel, motel and restaurant tax also is collected to pay for parks and tourism.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Abdel Kareem Hana—Associated Press Attention will now also turn to the huge task of reconstruction inside Gaza.
    Richard Hall, Time, 12 Oct. 2025
  • In addition to being a stickler for city ordinances, Rader was known to participate heavily in outside activities like leading his son’s Cub Scout group and doing administrative tasks at the Christ Lutheran Church.
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • With potential regulatory fights to come, this is a potential boon and is a way of circumventing content quotas and other obligations that European countries want to establish.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Venus opposite Saturn can feel like an ultimatum in a relationship, a financial obligation that can’t be pushed aside, or simply coming to terms with what is no longer sustainable.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • All of which begs the question, can—and should—Europe use the once-in-a-generation opportunity presented by decarbonization to reboot its own renewables supply chain, creating green jobs and sustainable wealth for the future?
    Andrew Saunders, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
  • After graduating from high school in 1971, Silvana Clark enrolled at a community college after receiving guidance from her drama teacher, George Meshke, who had taken a job there.
    NPR, NPR, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson has taken responsibility for the jailbreak but also blamed a lack of resources, from faulty locks to staffing shortages, as well as the escapees' network of accomplices.
    Rachel Treisman, NPR, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Risk-mapping across business units, reassessing compliance as a governance responsibility, and exploring voluntary certifications or alliances establish new baselines for trust and safety.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • This story was edited by general assignment editor Carol Ritchie and managing editor Vickie Walton-James.
    Rachel Treisman, NPR, 8 Oct. 2025
  • While on assignment, CIA Case Officer Erica Ambler (Biel) suffers a devastating injury, waking up without her memories in custody at a supermax prison for the world’s deadliest spies.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Rising tensions around the world, particularly with China, have challenged America’s ability to secure all of those crucial needs.
    Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2025
  • The social media post didn't specify which trim was added to the Tennessee Highway Patrol's fleet, but every Mustang can produce enough giddyup to satisfy the needs of troopers.
    Charles Singh, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Duty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/duty. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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