1
as in marrying
to give in marriage
a couple eager to espouse their eldest daughter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in proposing
to take as a spouse
heeded his father's advice to espouse someone with whom he had common interests
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in adopting
to take for one's own use (something originated by another)
after working among them for two years in the Peace Corps, she felt compelled to espouse the peasants' cause for social justice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of espousing
The writings are filled with extremist material espousing anti-Islamic, antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ views.
—
Tom Winter, NBC news, 19 May 2026
And repetition – espousing the same ideas again and again – was an effective tactic.
—Yu-Ru Lin, The Conversation, 7 May 2026
The casting has always managed to feel diverse, but in a guileless, incidental way, giving the appearance of multicultural inclusion without espousing any explicitly progressive viewpoints.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2026
Campa-Najjar’s journey from espousing progressive positions to conservative ones and back again has required him to do a lot of explaining in recent years.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
However, the two political figures have also found common ground on the issue of affordability, with the president espousing a surprisingly positive tone about the mayor during the pair’s first Oval Office meeting last November.
—Sarah Davis, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2026
Presumably, this presented Hulu with its clearest, cleanest path to finally getting past the Whedon mess that had cast a shadow over the franchise espousing female empowerment.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 8 Apr. 2026
The mom recalls her as a former student espousing a radical totalitarian ideology, and the new girlfriend begins to build a powerful following, tearing apart the family from within.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Here’s Bianco on social media not long ago, once again definitely not espousing partisan voter conspiracies.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Tom Winter, NBC news, 19 May 2026
And repetition – espousing the same ideas again and again – was an effective tactic.
—Yu-Ru Lin, The Conversation, 7 May 2026
The casting has always managed to feel diverse, but in a guileless, incidental way, giving the appearance of multicultural inclusion without espousing any explicitly progressive viewpoints.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2026
Campa-Najjar’s journey from espousing progressive positions to conservative ones and back again has required him to do a lot of explaining in recent years.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
However, the two political figures have also found common ground on the issue of affordability, with the president espousing a surprisingly positive tone about the mayor during the pair’s first Oval Office meeting last November.
—Sarah Davis, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2026
Presumably, this presented Hulu with its clearest, cleanest path to finally getting past the Whedon mess that had cast a shadow over the franchise espousing female empowerment.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 8 Apr. 2026
The mom recalls her as a former student espousing a radical totalitarian ideology, and the new girlfriend begins to build a powerful following, tearing apart the family from within.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Here’s Bianco on social media not long ago, once again definitely not espousing partisan voter conspiracies.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for espousing
Verb
-
Quince has mastered marrying style and function, and these platform sandals are proof of it.—
Caitlyn Fitzpatrick,
PEOPLE,
9 June 2026
-
But George had courted, and then snubbed, Richmond’s teen-age sister Sarah, marrying a minor German princess instead.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Beyond mere modernization, adopting these predictive tools helps solve infrastructure’s persistent optics problem.—
Gregg Herrin,
Fortune,
13 June 2026
-
Ninety percent of enterprises are actively adopting AI agents, according to a survey by Kong, and 79% of enterprises expect full-scale adoption of agentic AI in the next three years.—
Bernard Aceituno,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
While blue sapphires and orange garnets both work as standalone alternatives for anyone who wants the reference without the logo, another great option is this bee cuban link necklace from SammiBee Jewelry that perfectly capture the bold, elevated style Knicks fans are embracing right now.—
Pooja Mistry,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
-
But Woods isn’t the only fan embracing a little playoff magic.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Raising benchmark rates influences what lenders charge throughout the economy, increasing the cost of borrowing money to buy things and thus dampening demand for goods.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
-
The Missouri Constitution prohibits the state from borrowing money to make up for deficit spending.—
Jack Harvel,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Espousing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/espousing. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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