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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of attributing
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro is expected to see a significant price increase, with CEO Tim Cook attributing it to inflationary pressures on memory and storage components.
—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2026
The pair divorced in 2023, with Vergara later attributing the split to differing views on having children, which Manganiello disputed.
—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
24 June 2026
In January, West issued a public apology for his antisemitic comments in a full-page advertisement in The Wall Street Journal, attributing his behavior to struggles with bipolar disorder.
—
Cbs Miami Team,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
For offensive players, attributing this Goal Contribution to the players involved in the event is pretty uncomplicated.
—
Ethan Douglas,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
But a retirement album this is not, and not just because Latto walked back her assertion in her interview with Nadeska, attributing the impulse to a depressive low in the new-album-and-new-motherhood process.
—
Mankaprr Conteh,
Pitchfork,
4 June 2026
No definitive cause was reported, though the Tribune ran one story attributing the explosion to a static spark lighting the highly flammable hydrogen gas.
—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
The Virginia house of burgesses voted to thank him and the militia for their service, with the lawmakers attributing the defeat to the failure of the other colonies to come to Virginia’s aid.
—
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
Slok has previously invoked Jevons paradox to explain why AI will actually create more jobs overall, despite some employers attributing layoffs to the technology.
—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
10 May 2026
Ewan Spence,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2026
The pair divorced in 2023, with Vergara later attributing the split to differing views on having children, which Manganiello disputed.
—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
24 June 2026
In January, West issued a public apology for his antisemitic comments in a full-page advertisement in The Wall Street Journal, attributing his behavior to struggles with bipolar disorder.
—
Cbs Miami Team,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
For offensive players, attributing this Goal Contribution to the players involved in the event is pretty uncomplicated.
—
Ethan Douglas,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
But a retirement album this is not, and not just because Latto walked back her assertion in her interview with Nadeska, attributing the impulse to a depressive low in the new-album-and-new-motherhood process.
—
Mankaprr Conteh,
Pitchfork,
4 June 2026
No definitive cause was reported, though the Tribune ran one story attributing the explosion to a static spark lighting the highly flammable hydrogen gas.
—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
The Virginia house of burgesses voted to thank him and the militia for their service, with the lawmakers attributing the defeat to the failure of the other colonies to come to Virginia’s aid.
—
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
Slok has previously invoked Jevons paradox to explain why AI will actually create more jobs overall, despite some employers attributing layoffs to the technology.
—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
10 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attributing
Verb
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The group immediate drew praise on social media for not ascribing the cancellation to anything beyond the most obvious factors.
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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.
Verb
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Carpino retired in April, without ever explaining what was not right in the organization or, based on the standings, repairing it.
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The traditional experience requires waiting on hold, explaining the situation and hoping an agent can help.
Verb
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On top of that, Ford is crediting a record-setting Q2 for the Bronco’s gains.
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Following Davis’ death, Keys was among the wave of legendary artists crediting Davis for being pivotal at the start of their careers.
Verb
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The article emphasizes that effective communication of difficult decisions requires not only clear explanation but also genuine empathy for how people feel, rather than merely justifying actions.
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And yet at the start of the Mass, a priest read aloud a statement justifying the consecrations as a necessary defense of the faith and criticizing how the Catholic Church today had deviated from tradition.
Cite this Entry
“Attributing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attributing. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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