1
as in hugs
to put one's arms around and press tightly
upon being finally reunited, the overjoyed father embraced his son
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in wraps
to surround or cover closely
the stone walls that embrace the monastery serve to symbolize its function as a retreat from an unquiet world
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in adopts
to take for one's own use (something originated by another)
rap music came to be embraced by people who were far removed from the places where it originated
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in welcomes
to receive or accept gladly or readily
the exchange student was gratified to be so quickly embraced by people of the small rural community
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in encompasses
to have as part of a whole
a course in social studies can embrace everything from sociology to civics and economics
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in surrounds
to form a circle around
a sleepy village embraced by low hills
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 embraces
Tori Latham, Robb Report, 2 Apr. 2026
Romeo leaps to his feet and embraces Juliet, both of them saved; Juliet-as-an-old-woman appears and dances with Romeo as an older Romeo does the same with Juliet; Romeo and Juliet dote over a baby that will never be born.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 1 Apr. 2026
Homeowners and contractors are finally winning when their government embraces the future instead of clinging to the bureaucratic obstacles of the past.
—Ian Cohen, Sun Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
Thomas O'Brien’s Bowers pendant design embraces the idea of bringing an uber polished look to your patio.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 31 Mar. 2026
How medicine embraces any of this is an open question.
—Alexandra Sifferlin, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026
Seagrass light-gathering pigments are reconfigured, each seagrass species finding the pigment palette that best embraces the blue-green watery light of its home.
—David George Haskell, Big Think, 27 Mar. 2026
Our enduring sense of community, in a state where everyone is only separated by one or two degrees, embraces a mosaic of diversity.
—Nancy Wolanski, The Providence Journal, 26 Mar. 2026
Now 39, Horford embraces his role as a mentor for his younger countrymen and those coming from the rest of Latin America.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
Designed by the architecture firm Minarc with interiors by MYMM, the home embraces a welcoming Scandi-chic aesthetic.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 2 Apr. 2026
Romeo leaps to his feet and embraces Juliet, both of them saved; Juliet-as-an-old-woman appears and dances with Romeo as an older Romeo does the same with Juliet; Romeo and Juliet dote over a baby that will never be born.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 1 Apr. 2026
Homeowners and contractors are finally winning when their government embraces the future instead of clinging to the bureaucratic obstacles of the past.
—Ian Cohen, Sun Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
Thomas O'Brien’s Bowers pendant design embraces the idea of bringing an uber polished look to your patio.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 31 Mar. 2026
How medicine embraces any of this is an open question.
—Alexandra Sifferlin, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026
Seagrass light-gathering pigments are reconfigured, each seagrass species finding the pigment palette that best embraces the blue-green watery light of its home.
—David George Haskell, Big Think, 27 Mar. 2026
Our enduring sense of community, in a state where everyone is only separated by one or two degrees, embraces a mosaic of diversity.
—Nancy Wolanski, The Providence Journal, 26 Mar. 2026
Now 39, Horford embraces his role as a mentor for his younger countrymen and those coming from the rest of Latin America.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for embraces
Verb
-
The Lake County portion hugs the shoreline south to Lake Cook Road and continues west to the eastern part of Buffalo Grove.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
-
President Barack Obama hugs Shigeaki Mori at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial park cenotaph in Hiroshima on May 27, 2016.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The instantly volumizing tubing formula wraps each lash for va-va-voom length without smudging, melting, or clumping.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Currently airing in the Tuesday 10 PM slot behind High Potential, the freshman series will slide into High Potential‘s Tuesday 9 PM berth once the Kaitlin Olson drama wraps its second season on April 7.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The City Council adopts budgets every other year for the next two fiscal years and makes adjustments in response to factors such as actual receipts and market conditions.—
Luke Harold,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Its main platform adopts a semi-submersible twin-hull design, engineered for stability in harsh sea conditions while enabling large-scale testing of deep-sea equipment weighing hundreds of tons.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Your 11th House of Groups welcomes the intuitive Moon, offering you multiple chances to reconnect with pals or coordinate plans that serve everyone.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Sitting in the role of a production advisor welcomes open communication across teams and priorities, particularly around asset and usage needs, timing, and how best to share talent in order to effectively and efficiently produce spots.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The field encompasses 868,600 jobs and is expected to grow by a robust 15% between 2024 and 2034.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The National Park Service (NPS) explains that Grand Canyon National Park is located entirely within the state of Arizona and encompasses 278 miles of the Colorado River and its surrounding uplands.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
With its maritime forests and natural landscape, water surrounds North Topsail Beach on three sides and offers dog-friendly shores.—
Valerie Fraser Luesse,
Southern Living,
1 Apr. 2026
-
For someone like me, brought up Catholic, mortal sin has remained the secret par excellence, a pagan custom, delicious in its dark-ness and all the human incomprehension that surrounds it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Alyoshka’s mother clings to the hope that her son represents, and finds his reluctance to play his role impossible to understand.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Sprinkle with ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese and leaves from 1 fresh basil sprig, chopped, and toss again until the sauce clings to the pasta.—
Demi Lovato,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
At other times, the cloak reads as an exterior, modulated, flowing sculptural layer—almost like a cloud that envelops the building, as with the Luma Tower in Arles, France.—
Norman Foster,
Artforum,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The film, set in 1920s Montana, unwraps the lives of the Burbank brothers, Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George (Jesse Plemons), after George marries lonely widow Rose Gordon (Kirsten Dunst), setting surly Phil into a tailspin of cruelty that envelops the family.—
Sezin Devi Keohler,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Embraces.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/embraces. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
