Here are some ways to think about "ascribe":
* To assign: You might ascribe a painting to a certain artist.
* To credit: You might ascribe the success of a project to the hard work of the team.
* To blame: You might ascribe a car accident to reckless driving.
Here are some examples:
* "Historians ascribe the fall of the Roman Empire to a combination of factors."
* "The scientist ascribed the strange phenomenon to a new kind of particle."
* "The teacher ascribed the student's poor performance to a lack of effort."
In short, "ascribe" means to say that something is caused by or belongs to something else.