as in embracing
to take for one's own use (something originated by another)
shortly after moving to the U.S., the family dutifully adopted the American tradition of having turkey for Thanksgiving
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Recent Examples of adopting
The state is an outlier nationwide because of its stubborn resistance to adopting cleaner, cheaper sources of energy.
—
Margie Mason, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
Vivian, who came out as transgender in 2020, legally dropped her father's surname 18 years later, adopting Wilson as her last name.
—Emma Banks, InStyle, 11 Apr. 2026
Since bringing her pup home, Busby has become even more committed to spreading the word about adopting from shelters and rescues.
—Sabienna Bowman, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
Under North Carolina law, cities are prohibited from adopting sanctuary-style policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 10 Apr. 2026
White kids adopting street culture.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2026
While these settings may appear excessive, purposefully restrictive yet reversible defaults can simplify the process of adopting a DHI since dev teams don’t have to spend time implementing the least permissions themselves.
—Felysha Walker, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
It was founded in 2006 by animal welfare advocate College Paige; the annual day focuses on celebrating pets while raising awareness about adopting animals from shelters.
—Jessica Moore, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
The Ada County Highway District is a gubernatorial signature away from unwillingly adopting a countywide, partisan vote after the Legislature passed an 11th-hour bill to overhaul how the district’s board is elected.
—Mark Dee
april 4, Idaho Statesman, 4 Apr. 2026
Margie Mason, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
Vivian, who came out as transgender in 2020, legally dropped her father's surname 18 years later, adopting Wilson as her last name.
—Emma Banks, InStyle, 11 Apr. 2026
Since bringing her pup home, Busby has become even more committed to spreading the word about adopting from shelters and rescues.
—Sabienna Bowman, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
Under North Carolina law, cities are prohibited from adopting sanctuary-style policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 10 Apr. 2026
White kids adopting street culture.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2026
While these settings may appear excessive, purposefully restrictive yet reversible defaults can simplify the process of adopting a DHI since dev teams don’t have to spend time implementing the least permissions themselves.
—Felysha Walker, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
It was founded in 2006 by animal welfare advocate College Paige; the annual day focuses on celebrating pets while raising awareness about adopting animals from shelters.
—Jessica Moore, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
The Ada County Highway District is a gubernatorial signature away from unwillingly adopting a countywide, partisan vote after the Legislature passed an 11th-hour bill to overhaul how the district’s board is elected.
—Mark Dee
april 4, Idaho Statesman, 4 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adopting
Verb
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The last three, four, five years everybody is embracing this rugged styling.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
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His remarks sparked a torrent of criticism on social media, where some commentators faulted him for embracing technology that could kill jobs in the entertainment industry.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That said, in today's unique economic terrain, borrowing home equity is arguably one of the very best ways to secure extra funding now.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
At a recent infrastructure planning meeting, Leawood Mayor Marc Elkins voiced concern that the cost of borrowing money could increase substantially if local governments’ budgets were subject to strict spending limits or vulnerable to protest petition challenges.—
Matthew Kelly
Updated April 8,
Kansas City Star,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adopting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adopting. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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