1
as in blame
the state of being held as the cause of something that needs to be set right
responsibility for the accident lies with the driver who was speeding
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in obligation
something one must do because of prior agreement
I had the responsibility of closing up the shop at night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in reliability
worthiness as the recipient of another's trust or confidence
the newspaper publisher should hire kids of greater responsibility to deliver its papers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 responsibility
Long-term housing, fewer disaster declarations The report also warns the council has proposed ending FEMA's role in long-term housing assistance, instead shifting responsibility for housing survivors with no place to go to states, territories and tribal governments.
—
Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 9 June 2026
The court’s abdication of its modern responsibility for supervising electoral democracy seems to rest on the naive belief that democracy will succeed in regulating itself.
—Noah Feldman, Mercury News, 9 June 2026
Others imagined completing unfinished work or fulfilling responsibilities that still awaited them.
—Norman B. Gildin, Sun Sentinel, 9 June 2026
Iran has not publicly claimed responsibility for the attack.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for responsibility
Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 9 June 2026
The court’s abdication of its modern responsibility for supervising electoral democracy seems to rest on the naive belief that democracy will succeed in regulating itself.
—Noah Feldman, Mercury News, 9 June 2026
Others imagined completing unfinished work or fulfilling responsibilities that still awaited them.
—Norman B. Gildin, Sun Sentinel, 9 June 2026
Iran has not publicly claimed responsibility for the attack.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for responsibility
Recent Examples of Synonyms for responsibility
Noun
-
Bottoms said political leaders should focus less on blame and more on voters' concerns.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
-
In the meantime, each of the three companies is shirking blame.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
This year, Davis began the process of shifting some sidewalk repair obligations onto adjacent property owners to address a repaving backlog and citywide budget deficit.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
29 May 2026
-
Gomez also criticized the public notice that warned broadcasters about their public interest obligations.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
The chemistry has therefore emerged as a promising option for large-scale energy storage, where cost, resource availability, and operational reliability are critical factors.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
7 June 2026
-
Its value depends on a combination of its performance on various benchmarks, reliability, latency, context length, integration into business systems, and the skill of the operator.—
James Broughel,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
The Current did double World Cup duty Wednesday as the Netherlands also trained at the Current’s practice facility in Riverside.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
-
Drivers will still have to pay for car tax, servicing and MOTs with an EV, plus the government is planning to introduce pay-per-mile charges from April 2028 as a replacement for shrinking fuel duty revenues.—
Marc Shoffman,
TheWeek,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
The tool eliminates the need for traditional public health data reports and fact sheets, which are limited to specific time periods and health categories.—
Velvet Wu
June 5,
Sacbee.com,
6 June 2026
-
Consider starting a light brainstorm with a teammate, using a quick sketch to express needs before words get heavy.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
However, England and Spain face a much heavier burden.—
Emile Nuh,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
-
And because daraxonrasib is a pill, patients are spared the burden of going to a facility and being tethered to an IV pump.—
Lisa Jarvis,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
In Cawker City, population 465, the twine ball is a symbol of community—a collective commitment to the bit.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
Arlington Lamar standout three-star class of 2027 linebacker Braylon Williams announced his commitment to SMU Saturday.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Responsibility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/responsibility. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
