1
as in ascribing
to explain (something) as being the result of something else
attributed the quick rescue to the well-trained police force
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in explaining
to give the reason for or cause of
a psychotherapist who's a little too quick to attribute every emotional problem or character defect to an unhappy childhood
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of attributing
Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is in good health and leading the country, an Iranian official said today, attributing his absence from public view to security concerns.
—
Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
For Koch, the surge of people attributing consciousness to their chatbots is no amusing matter.
—Shai Tubali, Big Think, 27 Mar. 2026
Executives at the energy companies are attributing the success to the legal work of a handful of corporate law firms, including Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Jackson Walker, Kirkland & Ellis, Baker Botts, Vinson & Elkins and Susman Godfrey.
—Mark Curriden, Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 2026
Red flags worth walking away from include dismissing symptoms without investigation, attributing everything to stress or anxiety, discouraging second opinions and making patients feel rushed.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
Liuying Cao of Parallax Films China says FilMart proved far more productive than the Berlin European Film Market, attributing the shift to economic conditions that are driving more Asian buyers toward regional events.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Mar. 2026
During lockdown, when a new generation of Discord-dwelling shitposters came of age, the idea of attributing a musical form to the digital world felt more plausible.
—Pitchfork, 20 Mar. 2026
And those predictions are slowly becoming reality as companies—especially tech firms—have started to cut sizable chunks of their workforces, attributing the layoffs to AI.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
Shares of Navan have plunged 48% this year, with Jester attributing this pullback to worries about the durable growth trend and potential disruption from AI tools.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026
Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
For Koch, the surge of people attributing consciousness to their chatbots is no amusing matter.
—Shai Tubali, Big Think, 27 Mar. 2026
Executives at the energy companies are attributing the success to the legal work of a handful of corporate law firms, including Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Jackson Walker, Kirkland & Ellis, Baker Botts, Vinson & Elkins and Susman Godfrey.
—Mark Curriden, Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 2026
Red flags worth walking away from include dismissing symptoms without investigation, attributing everything to stress or anxiety, discouraging second opinions and making patients feel rushed.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
Liuying Cao of Parallax Films China says FilMart proved far more productive than the Berlin European Film Market, attributing the shift to economic conditions that are driving more Asian buyers toward regional events.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Mar. 2026
During lockdown, when a new generation of Discord-dwelling shitposters came of age, the idea of attributing a musical form to the digital world felt more plausible.
—Pitchfork, 20 Mar. 2026
And those predictions are slowly becoming reality as companies—especially tech firms—have started to cut sizable chunks of their workforces, attributing the layoffs to AI.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
Shares of Navan have plunged 48% this year, with Jester attributing this pullback to worries about the durable growth trend and potential disruption from AI tools.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attributing
Verb
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Wednesday’s verdict in Los Angeles on the ninth day of jury deliberations shows the difficulty of ascribing how much social media is to blame for youths suffering varying degrees of distress.—
Bloomberg,
Bloomberg,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The actress is cautious in ascribing too much power to her position.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
15 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Both Miller and Martinez shared a similar sentiment, explaining that business owners need to be ready to network and create a social media strategy.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The proposal does not include a summary explaining the purpose of the observance, and no additional details have been published outlining how the dates would be calculated beyond the language in the bill text.—
Sam Stevenson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Cristobal has praised the freshman, crediting his work ethic and raving about his physical traits.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
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But opponents argue that the measure would actually weaken the 8-30g by crediting communities with affordable housing progress even if their new modular housing goes to mid-income tenants and buyers.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Smith, the leading kratom researcher, has said the emphasis on semisynthetic 7-OH is odd because there is no evidence justifying it, and because the natural kratom alkaloid mitragynine still converts to 7-OH during manufacturing and in the body.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
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For CFOs, the challenge is justifying AI spending before returns are visible.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Attributing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attributing. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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