assert itself

idiom

: to become apparent : to start to be clearly seen or known
Doubts about the value of the work began to assert themselves.

Examples of assert itself in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The fragile central government is still struggling to assert itself after the nationwide chaos that began with the fall of dictator Siad Barre in 1991, when public facilities fell into neglect or were destroyed. Omar Faruk, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Jan. 2024 Now, after decades of punching below its weight, Jakarta may be about to assert itself on Get unlimited access to all Foreign Affairs. Nithin Coca, Foreign Affairs, 30 Dec. 2020 Here, too, a compassionate spiritual presence seems to assert itself, in front of the camera as well as behind it. Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2024 Others noted that the North could assert itself militarily, including through smaller conventional strikes and bolder weapons testing, without necessarily triggering a deadly response. Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2024 The concern is in attempting to assert itself, Ethiopia might risk reigniting a conflict. Mahad Darar, The Conversation, 13 Nov. 2023 So, Fuller, a team captain, is confident the secondary will assert itself. Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2023 Despite this year easily keeping pace to be the hottest on record for the planet, September has still managed to assert itself. Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2023 Known as the Rabat Declaration, the agreement was the culmination of Morocco’s extensive efforts to assert itself in security and counterterrorism operations in North Africa. Vish Sakthivel, Foreign Affairs, 14 Jan. 2014

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'assert itself.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near assert itself

Cite this Entry

“Assert itself.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assert%20itself. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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