1
as in analysis
the separation and identification of the parts of a whole
a metallurgist did an assay on the metal and determined it contained nickel
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to analyze
to identify and examine the basic elements or parts of (something) especially for discovering interrelationships
the company assayed a sample of the rock to see if it contained gold in quantities worth mining
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to attempt
to make an effort to do
assaying the task of writing his autobiography
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of assay
Brad Reisfeld, The Conversation, 12 Mar. 2025
Full certainty might require drill sampling and fire assays.
—Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
Michael Greshko, Scientific American, 24 July 2024
To recall how youths assayed the Beatles/Stones rivalry is to be reminded that when rock and roll was in its juvenescence, youths interrelated with their music heroes in a way that today seems scarcely fathomable.
—Chris Wheatley, Longreads, 16 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for assay
Noun
And receptor binding assays assess whether chemicals can interact with specific proteins on cells and trigger harmful effects.
—Brad Reisfeld, The Conversation, 12 Mar. 2025
Full certainty might require drill sampling and fire assays.
—Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
Verb
The 950-pound rover could navigate treacherous lunar terrain to reach a site of interest, assay the soil’s ice content with three-foot-deep drilling and then move on to another location to do it all again.
—Michael Greshko, Scientific American, 24 July 2024
To recall how youths assayed the Beatles/Stones rivalry is to be reminded that when rock and roll was in its juvenescence, youths interrelated with their music heroes in a way that today seems scarcely fathomable.
—Chris Wheatley, Longreads, 16 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for assay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assay
Noun
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Student loan delinquency rates spiked once monthly payments resumed – one analysis found roughly 9 million borrowers fell behind on their debt within months of payments restarting.—
Shahar Ziv,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
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The analysis also offers new insights into broader lifestyle and relational shifts in Irish Neolithic society.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The team now intends to study more magnetars with Hubble in an attempt to decode their origins.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
17 Apr. 2025
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Trump's probe, announced on Tuesday, is viewed as an attempt to push back on leading critical minerals producer China, and comes on top of reviews into pharmaceutical and chip imports.—
Anmol Choubey,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The research consortium has data from tissue samples that represents a resource the field has never had—and that is yet to be fully analyzed.—
Atul Gawande,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
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His internet history was equally troubling, according to the Anti-Defamation League, which analyzed screenshots of his gaming accounts that contained Nazi and Hitler references.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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President Donald Trump and his allies in power are trying to erect an authoritarian Mafia state like the one Vladimir Putin and his cronies established in Russia.—
Garry Kasparov,
The Atlantic,
17 Apr. 2025
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And then… follow me here… the guy Kamilla was trying to convince that Shauhin was dangerous decides to believe that Kamilla and Shauhin are… too tight!—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Androgyny plays a factor in Martine Rose, while femininity is dissected through an unabashed use of color and volume in all of Christopher John Rogers’s collections.—
Cortne Bonilla,
Vogue,
21 Apr. 2025
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It has been dissected in many an op-ed or BuzzFeed breakdown, received plenty of TikTok love, and, of course, rose to millennial meme fame.—
Sharareh Drury,
People.com,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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If a cell harbors many black morphogens, for example, and a neighboring cell harbors few of them, then the molecules strive to move such that they are distributed as evenly as possible.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
16 Apr. 2025
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The school could strive for excellence and integrity while doing fewer things.—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
New Yorker,
15 Apr. 2025
Verb
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For taxpayers who owe and do not pay by the due date, a separate failure-to-pay penalty of 0.5 percent per month is assessed.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
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In December, 2021, the F.D.A. had lifted its requirement that mifepristone be prescribed in person; the number of virtual clinics, which assess a patient’s eligibility online or by phone, and mail out the medications, proliferated.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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How does a child actor agree to be a part of a horror movie and essay an important part in it?—
Sweta Kaushal,
Forbes.com,
10 Apr. 2025
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Williams’ academic performance, extracurricular leadership, community service learning and essay on the impact of military service on the family earned her the award.—
Lena Miano,
Arkansas Online,
6 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Assay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assay. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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