spon·sor
ˈspän(t)-sər 
1
: one who presents a candidate for baptism or confirmation and undertakes responsibility for the person's religious education or spiritual welfare
2
: one who assumes responsibility for some other person or thing
3
: a person or an organization that pays for or plans and carries out a project or activity
especially
: one that pays the cost of a radio or television program usually in return for advertising time during its course
Synonyms
Examples of sponsor in a Sentence
Noun
Our company is a sponsor of the race.
I have over 50 sponsors for next week's race.
Her sponsors include a major sneaker company.
He agreed to be my sponsor so that I could join the club.
The senator is a sponsor of the proposed bill.
Verb
The radio station sponsored the concert.
The tournament is sponsored by local businesses.
Will you sponsor me for the charity race?
He sponsored me at my confirmation.
She sponsored the new tax bill.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 19 Nov. 2023
Other sponsors include Lexus, who surprised one lucky fan with VIP treatment with a private ride in a luxury Lexus vehicle to the one-of-a-kind performance.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 17 Nov. 2023
The joint statement did, however, result in one of the event’s sponsors, Zibby Media, withdrawing its support ahead of the event because of concerns that the statement could be antisemitic and anti-Israel, The Associated Press reported.
—Emi Tuyetnhi Tran, NBC News, 16 Nov. 2023
There were costs: many of the attack’s high-level sponsors in the Pakistan army and in the leadership of the anti-Indian militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which was responsible for the violence, escaped retribution.
—Shivshankar Menon, Foreign Affairs, 16 Nov. 2023
Event sponsors included Connect the Docs, Ashcraft Investment Company, Rudolph and Sletten, Inc. and the Ecke family.
—U-T Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2023
In 2022, the championship game had been relegated to a noon start time, outside of CBS Sports’ primetime window, until one of the NWSL’s sponsors upped its media investment prompting the network to shift the game to the more desirable 8 p.m.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2023
Kovacs had been an executive vice president of client partnerships for NBCUniversal, and has been involved in a a variety of recent efforts for advertises and sponsors.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 8 Nov. 2023
The Headway initiative is funded through grants from the Ford Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), with Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors serving as a fiscal sponsor.
—Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2023
Jem Aswad, Variety, 21 Nov. 2023
The Foreign Pollution Fee Act, sponsored by Louisiana’s Bill Cassidy and South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham, could well have been written by the Sierra Club and AFL-CIO.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 19 Nov. 2023
The hotline is sponsored by FreeConferenceCall.com, which launched it back in 2009 as a way to promote its services.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 19 Nov. 2023
The calculus is, of course, further complicated when the terrorist is sponsored by a state or states.
—Shivshankar Menon, Foreign Affairs, 16 Nov. 2023
The foundation is now sponsoring a third initiative for the 2024 ballot.
—Laurel Rosenhall, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
Despite a plethora of snacks and drinks and college basketball blaring on the big screen, supporters of both the five-eighths-cent and three-eighths-cent sales and use tax proposals sponsored by Go Forward Pine Bluff had no victory to celebrate Tuesday night in their election night headquarters.
—I.c. Murrell, arkansasonline.com, 15 Nov. 2023
For The San Diego Union-Tribune) Holiday Makers Fair: A Makers Arcade Holiday Fair is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 2-3 at Broadway Pier, sponsored by the Port of San Diego.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Nov. 2023
The real estate agent, 42, hosted a Friendsgiving dinner last weekend, sponsored by 21 Seeds Tequila, and invited many of her Selling Sunset castmates alongside more friends.
—Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 8 Nov. 2023
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Noun
It is claimed that he is suspected of advancing the interests of Iran, a state sponsor of terrorism.
—Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 19 Nov. 2023
Other sponsors include Lexus, who surprised one lucky fan with VIP treatment with a private ride in a luxury Lexus vehicle to the one-of-a-kind performance.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 17 Nov. 2023
The joint statement did, however, result in one of the event’s sponsors, Zibby Media, withdrawing its support ahead of the event because of concerns that the statement could be antisemitic and anti-Israel, The Associated Press reported.
—Emi Tuyetnhi Tran, NBC News, 16 Nov. 2023
There were costs: many of the attack’s high-level sponsors in the Pakistan army and in the leadership of the anti-Indian militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which was responsible for the violence, escaped retribution.
—Shivshankar Menon, Foreign Affairs, 16 Nov. 2023
Event sponsors included Connect the Docs, Ashcraft Investment Company, Rudolph and Sletten, Inc. and the Ecke family.
—U-T Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2023
In 2022, the championship game had been relegated to a noon start time, outside of CBS Sports’ primetime window, until one of the NWSL’s sponsors upped its media investment prompting the network to shift the game to the more desirable 8 p.m.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2023
Kovacs had been an executive vice president of client partnerships for NBCUniversal, and has been involved in a a variety of recent efforts for advertises and sponsors.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 8 Nov. 2023
The Headway initiative is funded through grants from the Ford Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), with Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors serving as a fiscal sponsor.
—Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2023
Verb
Fittingly enough, the tour is sponsored by AARP — the long-running U.S. interest group focusing on issues affecting people over the age of 50.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 21 Nov. 2023
The Foreign Pollution Fee Act, sponsored by Louisiana’s Bill Cassidy and South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham, could well have been written by the Sierra Club and AFL-CIO.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 19 Nov. 2023
The hotline is sponsored by FreeConferenceCall.com, which launched it back in 2009 as a way to promote its services.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 19 Nov. 2023
The calculus is, of course, further complicated when the terrorist is sponsored by a state or states.
—Shivshankar Menon, Foreign Affairs, 16 Nov. 2023
The foundation is now sponsoring a third initiative for the 2024 ballot.
—Laurel Rosenhall, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
Despite a plethora of snacks and drinks and college basketball blaring on the big screen, supporters of both the five-eighths-cent and three-eighths-cent sales and use tax proposals sponsored by Go Forward Pine Bluff had no victory to celebrate Tuesday night in their election night headquarters.
—I.c. Murrell, arkansasonline.com, 15 Nov. 2023
For The San Diego Union-Tribune) Holiday Makers Fair: A Makers Arcade Holiday Fair is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 2-3 at Broadway Pier, sponsored by the Port of San Diego.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Nov. 2023
The real estate agent, 42, hosted a Friendsgiving dinner last weekend, sponsored by 21 Seeds Tequila, and invited many of her Selling Sunset castmates alongside more friends.
—Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 8 Nov. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sponsor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing sponsor
Articles Related to sponsor
Dictionary Entries Near sponsor
Cite this Entry
“Sponsor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sponsor. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.
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Kids Definition
sponsor
1 of 2 noun
spon·sor
ˈspän(t)-sər
1
: a person who takes the responsibility for some other person or thing
2
3
a
: a person or an organization that pays for or plans and carries out a project or activity
b
: a person or an organization that pays the cost of a radio or television program
Legal Definition
sponsor
noun
spon·sor
1
: a legislator who introduces and supports a legislative proposal (as a bill or amendment)
2
: a person who assumes responsibility for some other person (as an immigrant) or thing
3
a
: one that securitizes assets
b
: one that promotes, advocates, or favors a business venture (as investment in a security or limited partnership)
sponsor
verb
sponsorship
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on sponsor
Nglish: Translation of sponsor for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of sponsor for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sponsor
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