1
as in ascribes
to explain (something) as being the result of something else
attributed the quick rescue to the well-trained police force
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2
as in explains
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 characteristics
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 attributes
Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Improving these decisions requires multiple analyses, including reviewing past collections, identifying which attributes mattered, mapping those attributes to sell-through and comparing them to current demand signals.
—Anita Beveridge-Raffo, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
Lee attributes the stroke to unmanaged cholesterol and high blood pressure, compounded by stress from balancing her medical practice with TV production demands.
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles are notably absent from the list, which Martin largely attributes to their soaring costs of living.
—Sophie Caldwell, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2026
The World Bank, in fact, attributes most of the drop in the global economy’s dependence on oil to stricter fuel efficiency requirements for vehicles around the world.
—ABC News, 11 Apr. 2026
The agency attributes this to the pandemic, when lockdowns paused training for well over a year, as well as many leaving the profession between 2019 and 2024.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 11 Apr. 2026
Yet Tillman, like many other conservatives, attributes decades of frustration to shadowy forces.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
In just a few months, her daughter has advanced two grades in reading and math, which Cone attributes to the school’s personalized curriculum.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 9 Apr. 2026
Zach Berman, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
His physical attributes caught the attention of the Ravens’ front office and scouts, but his relationship with Heap helped drive his quality of character home.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026
The efforts to solve the object’s identity included genetic analysis and close examination of its physical attributes.
—Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2026
The 6-foot, 220-pound playmaker has all the right attributes that could complement the in-the-box Tre’Von Moehrig and hard-hitting Lathan Ransom.
—Alex Zietlow
april 21, Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026
Allar is polarizing, because the production hasn’t matched the physical attributes.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2026
That means focusing more intently on new kinds of attributes.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
Gatorade is also refreshing its labels and messaging — to ensure consumers know the attributes of each product — as part of its Gatorade Advanced Hydration System.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
Those attributes are going to be very popular with managers, no matter what consumers think of them.
—Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
McMahon attributes her ability to thrive among testosterone guzzlers to being an only child.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Improving these decisions requires multiple analyses, including reviewing past collections, identifying which attributes mattered, mapping those attributes to sell-through and comparing them to current demand signals.
—Anita Beveridge-Raffo, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
Lee attributes the stroke to unmanaged cholesterol and high blood pressure, compounded by stress from balancing her medical practice with TV production demands.
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles are notably absent from the list, which Martin largely attributes to their soaring costs of living.
—Sophie Caldwell, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2026
The World Bank, in fact, attributes most of the drop in the global economy’s dependence on oil to stricter fuel efficiency requirements for vehicles around the world.
—ABC News, 11 Apr. 2026
The agency attributes this to the pandemic, when lockdowns paused training for well over a year, as well as many leaving the profession between 2019 and 2024.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 11 Apr. 2026
Yet Tillman, like many other conservatives, attributes decades of frustration to shadowy forces.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
In just a few months, her daughter has advanced two grades in reading and math, which Cone attributes to the school’s personalized curriculum.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
Find attributes that cannot be taught.
—Zach Berman, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
His physical attributes caught the attention of the Ravens’ front office and scouts, but his relationship with Heap helped drive his quality of character home.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026
The efforts to solve the object’s identity included genetic analysis and close examination of its physical attributes.
—Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2026
The 6-foot, 220-pound playmaker has all the right attributes that could complement the in-the-box Tre’Von Moehrig and hard-hitting Lathan Ransom.
—Alex Zietlow
april 21, Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026
Allar is polarizing, because the production hasn’t matched the physical attributes.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2026
That means focusing more intently on new kinds of attributes.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
Gatorade is also refreshing its labels and messaging — to ensure consumers know the attributes of each product — as part of its Gatorade Advanced Hydration System.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
Those attributes are going to be very popular with managers, no matter what consumers think of them.
—Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attributes
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Brewer ascribes Starbucks’ success in Italy, where even the average person is a coffee connoisseur, to offering people, especially young people, a place to relax and enjoy a coffee.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
29 Jan. 2026
-
This breakup analysis ascribes no value to the companies being under the same corporate parent.—
Peter Cohan,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Mike Jones of The Athletic explains why the lack of top-tier quarterback prospects beyond Fernando Mendoza limits the intrigue typically expected of NFL drafts.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Each mural is accompanied by a link to the project’s website, which explains its mission and provides background on and pictures of each plant species featured in the murals.—
Madeline King,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Researchers evaluated and recorded the same 28 characteristics for each species based on preexisting data from universities and government agencies, Nunez-Mir said.—
Madeline King,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Clean-up operations involve experts who calculate the risk of a criticality accident based on the characteristics of the material being moved, Rofer says.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Mejia credits Miami’s cultural diversity with shaping both his music and his career.—
Megan Fitzgerald,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Fatla credits all that success to the city's blue-collar work ethic, forged in its steel mills since the 19th century.—
Ayana Archie,
NPR,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Plus, basil's aromatic qualities can improve the flavor of lettuce.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
30 Apr. 2026
-
These guys have leadership qualities.—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The 6-3, 318-pound Hunter has good length (33 1/4-inch arms) but lacks explosive traits, as evidenced by his 21 1/2-inch vertical jump and 8-foot, four-inch broad jump.—
Tobias Bass,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Each has versatility and traits the Broncos like.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
If your car is equipped with front radar or driver‑assist features, dirt on the sensor or slight misalignment from a parking‑lot bump could also be the culprit.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Update to the latest version to see all Vogue content, as well as new features like our Runway Genius quiz, Group Chats, and posts from Vogue contributors.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Political discussions on social media are often dominated by competing attributions of more and more insidious motives to people on the other side.—
Mark Schroeder,
The Conversation,
20 Feb. 2026
-
This post was corrected on 21 January 2021 to clarify attributions.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
12 Jan. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Attributes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attributes. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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