assay 1 of 2

noun

ˈa-ˌsā How to pronounce assay (audio)
Definition of assaynext
1
as in analysis
the separation and identification of the parts of a whole a metallurgist did an assay on the metal and determined it contained nickel

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2
as in attempt
archaic an effort to do or accomplish something the poem about a frustrated man's last assay at greatness

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assay

2 of 2

verb

a-ˈsā How to pronounce assay (audio)
1
as in to analyze
to identify and examine the basic elements or parts of (something) especially for discovering interrelationships the company assayed a sample of the rock to see if it contained gold in quantities worth mining

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2
as in to attempt
to make an effort to do assaying the task of writing his autobiography

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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 assay
Noun
The two technologies provide a new approach for non-destructive assay (NDA) testing. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 28 May 2026 So, as long as your tests involve one of the assays that Finch can handle, then there’s an additional step that can be performed by the system. — ArsTechnica, 19 May 2026
Verb
For example, cell viability assays measure the effect of a chemical on cell survival and growth. — Brad Reisfeld, The Conversation, 12 Mar. 2025 Their startup is developing machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities that will automate the assaying process for minerals in situ (on site). — Greg Autry, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for assay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assay
  1. analysis
  2. attempt
  3. analyze
  4. try
  5. dissect
  6. strive
  7. assess
  8. essay
Noun
  • The largest analysis included nearly 4,000 people age 80 and older who were followed for between about three and five years.
    — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • WarMatrix is designed to help military planners run sophisticated wargaming and analysis, and Code Metal’s work is expected to allow analyses that once took months to be completed in days.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of analysis
Noun
  • The family was in the middle of a cookout when Silvia arrived, and after an unsuccessful attempt to reconcile, authorities said Silvia retrieved the shotgun from his truck and shot the two women.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • First, Murdock recognized the Falcons setting up a screen and then shook off a block attempt by the pulling center and dropped running back Tyler Goodson for no gain.
    — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of attempt
Verb
  • In another trial, researchers with the UC San Diego School of Medicine and Case Western Reserve University are also analyzing blood from 84 adult participants with HIV and abnormal levels of body fat buildup.
    — Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Rather than simply applying basic color segmentation, Hi3D analyzes the model’s visual information while considering manufacturing requirements.
    — Nia Bowers, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of analyze
Verb
  • In a time when destinations are trying to achieve their tourism sustainability goals with master plans, Chichibu suggests there might be a different way.
    — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The performances were much needed for a team trying to avoid exhausting its pitching staff by October.
    — Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of try
Verb
  • When my performance of Birthright ended, a group of three 20-something women in short shorts and ballet flats stood in the courtyard to dissect the play.
    — Hannah Seligson, Vanity Fair, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The Rose Kennedy Greenway in Boston, Massachusetts, is a notable example of an urban reversal of the 1950s and 1960s highway expansions that occurred across the United States that dissected many cities into sections and separated neighborhoods.
    — Ashley Gardini, JSTOR Daily, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of dissect
Verb
  • The league will strive to avoid the potential unintended consequences referenced above.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Exclusion generates the prestige toward which unpaid labors strive.
    — M. C. Mah, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of strive
Verb
  • She was rescued from the area by firefighters and assessed on their boat.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • In addition, there are the findings of the Police Reform Organizing Project’s (PROP) Court Monitoring Project, a kind of misnomer since its work actually involves assessing NYPD arrest practices.
    — Robert Gangi, New York Daily News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of assess
Verb
  • Larger collaboration, now being essayed by film industries as established as France and the Nordic States, is the bigger major way Africa’s film industries can also go.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026
  • After netting a Golden Globe nomination for her film debut in 1978's Corvette Summer, Annie Potts joined the cast of Ghostbusters, played the ultimate Cool Girl record store clerk in Pretty in Pink (1986), and essayed her most iconic role as barbed single-mother Mary Jo Shively on Designing Women.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 8 June 2026
Definition of essay

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Cite this Entry

“Assay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assay. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of assay for Spanish Speakers

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