Synonym Chooser

How does the noun duty contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of duty are assignment, chore, job, stint, and task. While all these words mean "a piece of work to be done," duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance.

the duties of a lifeguard

When is it sensible to use assignment instead of duty?

In some situations, the words assignment and duty are roughly equivalent. However, assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority.

a reporter's assignment

Where would chore be a reasonable alternative to duty?

The words chore and duty are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm.

every child was assigned chores

When could job be used to replace duty?

The synonyms job and duty 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 duty?

The meanings of stint and duty largely overlap; however, stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service.

a 2-month stint as a reporter

When can task be used instead of duty?

Although the words task and duty have much in common, task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance.

charged with a variety of tasks

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 duty Schneider said Congress needs to reclaim its constitutional duty to impose tariffs, which the president must enforce. Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2025 Consider: — As Trump’s 145% levies on Chinese imports drove fears of soaring costs for consumer goods and threatened a recession, the US president agreed to roll back duties on most of those goods to 30%. Bloomberg, Oc Register, 28 May 2025 Packages valued at up to $800 can no longer bypass customs duty and instead have been slapped with higher duties and single package flat costs. Mark Faithfull, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025 Holden’s official duties took him out into the community doing public relations for the Army Air Forces. Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for duty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for duty
Noun
  • The cap could rise somewhere below the $40,000 threshold but still higher than the $10,000 set in Trump’s 2017 tax law, though the exact number is still under discussion.
    David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 5 June 2025
  • In addition to tax cuts and reductions in federal spending, the bill phases out incentives for electric vehicles, the source of much of Tesla’s—and Musk’s—wealth and influence.
    Chantelle Lee, Time, 5 June 2025
Noun
  • Then Republicans can move on to a similarly herculean task: Building a midterm campaign around tax cuts and defending Democrats’ attacks on their health care changes.
    Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 6 June 2025
  • That’s no easy task — even as his knees deteriorated more and more towards the end of the 2024 season, Armstead still remained a top-three player at his position, according to Pro Football Focus.
    C. Isaiah Smalls II, Miami Herald, 6 June 2025
Noun
  • If another front office sees Holiday’s contract as positive value, the Celtics should strike quickly, but (justifiably!) paying him produced a remaining obligation that is below water.
    Danny Leroux, New York Times, 31 May 2025
  • The stakes are high: the Alliance wants to place the city’s homelessness programs into receivership, effectively removing control from Mayor Karen Bass, on the grounds that the city is not meeting its legal obligations for providing such services.
    Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2025
Noun
  • While discussing what jobs Ballerina stars Ian McShane, Norman Reedus, and Ana de Armas held before becoming actors on Wednesday's episode of her eponymous talk show, the American Idol was surprised to learn that Reedus, formerly a cleaner, remains a neat freak.
    Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 5 June 2025
  • In 2024, sports tourism generated $114.4 billion in the United States and supported nearly 665,000 jobs, according to a study from Sports ETA—but upcoming major soccer tournaments are expected to boost those numbers for 2025 and 2026.
    Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Noun
  • The president does not have the power to appoint the NPG director; instead, that responsibility is meant to be in the hands of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.
    Dan Gooding Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
  • In difficult moments Bruno is the guy who takes responsibility.
    Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Noun
  • The Orioles previously designated Blewett for assignment just days after acquiring him after the Minnesota Twins placed him on waivers.
    Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
  • The Royals designated right-handed pitcher Thomas Hatch for assignment — he’d been recalled from Triple-A Omaha for the doubleheader — meaning Cameron remains in the majors.
    Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 5 June 2025
Noun
  • Predicting how technology will change our relationship with terminology is challenging, but the need for precise scientific language, including the names of species, will never go away.
    Nicholas Green, The Conversation, 3 June 2025
  • However, operational reporting needs often go beyond what SAP’s native tools provide.
    Govinda Rao Banothu, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Duty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/duty. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.

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