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task

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verb

as in to entrust
to give a task, duty, or responsibility to I have been tasked by the host with bringing the pies for Thanksgiving this year

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun task contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of task are assignment, chore, duty, job, and stint. While all these words mean "a piece of work to be done," task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance.

charged with a variety of tasks

When can assignment be used instead of task?

The words assignment and task can be used in similar contexts, but assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority.

a reporter's assignment

When might chore be a better fit than task?

While in some cases nearly identical to task, chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm.

every child was assigned chores

When would duty be a good substitute for task?

The meanings of duty and task largely overlap; however, duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance.

the duties of a lifeguard

Where would job be a reasonable alternative to task?

The synonyms job and task are sometimes interchangeable, but job applies to a piece of work voluntarily performed; it may sometimes suggest difficulty or importance.

the job of turning the company around

In what contexts can stint take the place of task?

While the synonyms stint and task are close in meaning, stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service.

a 2-month stint as a reporter

Examples 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 task
Noun
But the task of restoring order, and faith in a peaceful future, is enormous. Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Dec. 2024 Summary Muscular strength is essential for everyday tasks, health, and athletic performance. Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
During Ashley Tisdale’s episode of Open Door, the actor turned designer admitted to tasking her husband with buying extra books to fill the shelves in their living room at the last minute. Sydney Gore, Architectural Digest, 13 Dec. 2024 The comptroller serves as the city government’s internal fiscal watchdog and is tasked with auditing agencies, reviewing contracts and overseeing the municipal pension funds, among other responsibilities. Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 12 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for task 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for task
Noun
  • Justin, Chevrolet and TF Sport have done a great job putting this all together.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
  • Research shows that people are 10 times more likely to quit their jobs because of toxic work cultures than due to compensation or work-life balance issues.
    Chris Dyer, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Paul’s purpose is to make the world a better place.
    Paul Klein, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
  • Capricorn season is making things more fun while still highlighting a deeper purpose.
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 21 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • On the other hand, the specifically Colombian perspective was entrusted to Laura Mora, known for directing projects such as Pablo Escobar: El patrón del mal and The Kings of the World, a film about young people displaced to the countryside as a result of violence in Medellín.
    Fernanda Pérez Sánchez, Vogue, 14 Dec. 2024
  • Kate Middleton and Prince William and tapped Pilkington as their private photographer for their wedding in 2011, and have entrusted her in the years that followed to take the birthday portraits of their children, Prince George, 11 Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6.
    Janine Henni, People.com, 7 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • While specific directives are still under consideration, such changes could affect where and how federal employees perform their duties.
    Tom Spiggle, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
  • At the same time, over half of experts acknowledged that AI will drastically reshape their work duties in the next few years while maintaining a positive outlook for their career prospects.
    Hilary Tetenbaum, The Arizona Republic, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • So many military commanders were suspended from their duties because of their roles in the martial law decree that concern spread that the South was militarily unprepared to deal with a potential North Korean aggression, although the military dismissed such ideas.
    Anthony Kuhn, NPR, 14 Dec. 2024
  • On this day in 1799: Founding Father George Washington, America’s first president who served in that role from 1789-1797 after leading the colonial armies in the Revolutionary War, died at his Mount Vernon home in Virginia at age 67.
    The Arizona Republic, The Arizona Republic, 14 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Nikitin is not currently charged with an offense by the United States government.
    Ali Winston, WIRED, 13 Dec. 2024
  • McKinsey was charged with conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and with destroying documents.
    Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 13 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Sophie Carson is a general assignment reporter who reports on religion and faith, immigrants and refugees and more.
    Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 12 Dec. 2024
  • Ava Kelley assignment editor for the Midwest Bureau of NBC News Matthew Mata and Sophie Comeau contributed.
    David K. Li, NBC News, 12 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Amino acids are necessary for immune function, muscle building, creating hormones and neurotransmitters, and more.10 Peanut butter also contains several important nutrients, including B vitamins, vitamin E, and manganese.
    Jillian Kubala, Health, 23 Dec. 2024
  • This will only be amplified once Mercury—planet of communication and cognitive function—stations retrograde in the same zodiac sign as of March 15.
    Roya Backlund, StyleCaster, 23 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near task

Cite this Entry

“Task.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/task. Accessed 28 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on task

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