task 1 of 2

Definition of tasknext

task

2 of 2

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

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

Example 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
And Gobert was up to the task of guarding Jokic in isolation when the Nuggets decided to clear out on a handful of clutch possessions. Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026 The asymmetry of the wear on the krakens’ jaws, meanwhile, hints that different parts of the animals’ brain were specialized for different tasks—a sign of advanced cognition in these invertebrates. Kate Wong, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
It would be tasked with tracking whales moving through the Bay and warning vessel operators of their locations to prevent collisions between the cetaceans and boats, according to a news release from Liccardo’s office. Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026 Last year, those challenges came to a head as USA Cricket, a nonprofit tasked with developing the sport in the United States, filed for federal bankruptcy protection after ending a contract with American Cricket Enterprises, the group that created Major League Cricket. ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for task
Recent Examples of Synonyms for task
Noun
  • The company expected to be nearly halfway to its goal of 25,000 new jobs in the area by 2038.
    Kendall Staton, Washington Post, 20 Apr. 2026
  • And really got to that and did a nice job of mixing the four-seamer, the two-seamer.
    LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The role of the head coach is to provide their players with new solutions and the confidence to execute them.
    Cerys Jones, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Wilson is also an actress, with roles on Yellowstone and in the movie adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s Reminders of Him.
    Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • That men like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk are entrusted with businesses of tectonic influence can be difficult to understand, but their cults of personality have been able to survive scrutiny, perhaps because the money itself is too imposing a firewall for their own stupidity to penetrate.
    Scott Tobias, Vulture, 19 Apr. 2026
  • For Terry, there’s a deep pride in the endowment that’s been entrusted to her care.
    Brian McCollum, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The three-story W Atrium, with its floor-to-ceiling windows and natural light, pulls double duty as an event space and production backdrop, attracting film and content crews.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
  • The note tells Michael that one of his guards, an off-duty New York City detective, will be here in a half-hour or so.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Princess Elizabeth and her family toured the Sandringham Park grounds, which were being used for agricultural purposes to contribute to the war efforts, in August 1943.
    Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
  • William West | Afp | Getty Images Shares in Japan's largest defense company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries climbed nearly 4% Monday after the country finalized an agreement with Australia for building three general purpose frigates.
    Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • He was charged with assault, criminal trespass, criminal threatening and disorderly conduct and released on bail.
    Meriam Bouarrouj, NBC news, 19 Apr. 2026
  • The bill called for charging Ohio ratepayers $150 million a year in nuclear subsidies.
    Julie Carr Smyth, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Specifically, The Ritz of the Bayou, reissued this month by Hub City Press, the happy result of a botched reporting assignment.
    Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
  • If a team is looking for a versatile defender who can excel no matter the assignment, Downs has positioned himself as that man in this draft.
    Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Absent a function like his, there was not going to be a memoir by Medgar Evers’s brother.
    John McPhee, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
  • The updates also reshaped how the home functions.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 19 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Task.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/task. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.

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