1
as in to ascribe
to explain (something) as being the result of something else
attributed the quick rescue to the well-trained police force
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to explain
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
as in characteristic
something that sets apart an individual from others of the same kind
list the attributes of a mammal
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of attribute
Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
Economists have attributed this to high uncertainty (in part due to massive shifts in trade and immigration policy) that has paralyzed much business investment.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 30 Dec. 2025
The Cookies and Cocoa Caravan started in 2022 with only an online cooking display where youth from the community displayed their cookies online while judges rated the cookies based on presentation, display and other attributes.
—Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for attribute
Verb
Every achievement was attributed not to God, not to talent, not to perseverance, but to auditing, donations, and loyalty to the organization.
—Noun
Imbued with distinct physical attributes, the four seeds exhibit enough personality for audiences to understand their role in the group.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for attribute
Verb
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Another label, Hui Hui, creates pendants made with horse hair, which also ascribe to the nomadic trend, has secured 80 stockists in just two years, a testament to the popularity of the style.—
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The brothers ascribe some of Barb’s staying power to Purser, who was working in a movie theater when the Duffer brothers cast her.—
Verb
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Mel explained that Chris was impressed by the move, and the two went for a run and had dinner together the next day.—
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In an interview with Entertainment Weekly's sister publication, PEOPLE, makeup artist Nick Barose explained his inspiration for creating Madigan's glam for the evening.—
Noun
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But there are other factors that needled their way into the evolutionary development of dormancy characteristics.—
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There’s no single definition in our modern times, but experts generally agree on a few characteristics.—
Verb
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The company credits this performance to both the four-motor setup and an active aerodynamic system.—
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Drone technology is being credited with helping find a lost dog that escaped from a car during a pit stop last weekend on the New Jersey Turnpike and traveled more than 20 miles.—
Verb
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Yuba County District Attorney Clint Curry in early October cleared Rodarte and Trumm of potential wrongdoing, deeming their gunfire in response to Oliver as justified self-defense.—
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Some of Ross’s actions could be legally justified, Ramsey noted.—
Noun
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This is not always the case, however, as rates, service quality, and coverage features often vary widely.—
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Of the 14 teams that qualified for the playoffs, eight feature a player with Idaho ties on their roster.—
Noun
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By examining liver cells as the disease progressed, researchers saw that healthy liver functions slowly shut down and survival traits took over.—
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The Louisville transfer features the size (6-6, 325), length and explosive traits NFL defensive coordinators covet and QBs usually lose sleep over.—
Noun
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The attribution of climate change to extreme heat has the strongest connection and highest confidence compared to all other weather events.—
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Combining the evidence from across the climate system increases the level of confidence in the attribution of observed climate change to human influence and reduces the uncertainties associated with assessments based on single variables.—
Cite this Entry
“Attribute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attribute. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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