assign

1
as in to task
to give a task, duty, or responsibility to assigned the class with the task of finding something in the state constitution they felt needed changing

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word assign different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of assign are ascribe, attribute, credit, and impute. While all these words mean "to lay something to the account of a person or thing," assign implies ascribing with certainty or after deliberation.

assigned the bones to the Cretaceous period

In what contexts can ascribe take the place of assign?

The synonyms ascribe and assign are sometimes interchangeable, but ascribe suggests an inferring or conjecturing of cause, quality, authorship.

forged paintings formerly ascribed to masters

How is attribute related to other words for assign?

Attribute suggests less tentativeness than ascribe, less definiteness than assign.

attributed to Rembrandt but possibly done by an associate

Where would credit be a reasonable alternative to assign?

In some situations, the words credit and assign are roughly equivalent. However, credit implies ascribing a thing or especially an action to a person or other thing as its agent, source, or explanation.

credited his teammates for his success

When is it sensible to use impute instead of assign?

While in some cases nearly identical to assign, impute suggests ascribing something that brings discredit by way of accusation or blame.

tried to impute sinister motives to my actions

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 assign Would Xi consider 30% for a little bit, 30% being a wee bit higher than the tariffs assigned to the penguins of Heard Island? Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 16 May 2025 Léa Drucker stars as an investigator named Stephanie who is assigned the task of determining who is responsible for the incident. Ellise Shafer, Variety, 15 May 2025 Lawmakers contend the Constitution assigns them the responsibility to decide how much to spend. Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, 15 May 2025 Combs’ case was then then randomly assigned to District Judge Andrew Carter, who later recused himself before the case was transferred to Subramanian. Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 3 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for assign
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assign
Verb
  • As state and federal arts funding diminishes, arts organizations are tasked with finding individual donors to continue functioning.
    Marcia Luttrell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2025
  • Devon is now tasked with taking care of their ailing father (Bill Camp), who’s been diagnosed with early-onset dementia.
    Erin Jensen, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Verb
  • The parcel was allotted to her in 1891 through the Dawes Act, which allowed the federal government to break up tribal land.
    Nick Oxford, New York Times, 21 May 2025
  • In the district where the Cozy Inn is located, businesses are allotted three square feet of signage per linear foot of street frontage, the Salina Post reported.
    Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 15 May 2025
Verb
  • Forced to retreat back deeper in the field thanks to the arrival of Kylian Mbappe, Bellingham has been nowhere near as effective this term as Madrid was bulldozed by FC Barcelona in four Clasicos and lost the Copa del Rey and Super Cup finals to it while also ceding La Liga to the Catalans.
    Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
  • Russia has demanded Ukraine recognize the regions as Russian in order to halt the conflict, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has refused to cede territory to Russia to bring an end to the war.
    Isabel van Brugen, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
Verb
  • As the president considers the potential appointment of a new Arctic Ambassador, just as Greenland has appointed theirs, the prospect for diplomacy around extractive industries in the region deserves greater attention.
    Saleem H. Ali, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025
  • During the last hunt, I was appointed the bear coordinator for the Heathrow community.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 May 2025
Verb
  • And that means a lot to me as someone who has been entrusted to be the custodian of his story.
    Allen Salkin, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2025
  • Named after Tom Vernon Harrison, a local headteacher who led a fundraising drive to save the pitch from development in 1928, the plot was entrusted to the school sports charity, which became Leeds Schools Sports Association (LSSA), with covenants in its deeds to protect its use for sport.
    Beren Cross, New York Times, 22 May 2025
Verb
  • Cleveland, which is already due to pay the luxury tax next season, might be forced to lose a role player such as Sam Merrill or Ty Jerome after allocating additional millions of dollars to Mobley.
    Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 23 May 2025
  • CMOs should allocate at least 10% of their marketing budget to Hispanic-specific programs that leverage culturally relevant channels and messaging.
    Isaac Mizrahi, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Verb
  • The Department of Agriculture’s Poultry and Animal Health then stepped in and transferred the chicks to the First State Animal Center and SPCA.
    Saleen Martin, USA Today, 24 May 2025
  • The move could force as many as 6,800 foreign students at the school outside of Boston — more than a quarter of its total enrollment — to transfer or leave the country.
    Jimmy Golen, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2025
Verb
  • Individuals and teams are nominated via an online application.
    Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 26 May 2025
  • Morehouse’s faculty and students had nominated Hubert for the honorary degree, according to the college president.
    Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 25 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Assign.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assign. Accessed 30 May. 2025.

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