as in borrows
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 adopts
The more affordable Linghui e5, based on the Qin Plus EV platform, adopts a single-motor setup focused on cost-efficient electrification for high-volume buyers.
—
Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 11 Jan. 2026
The state’s Housing Development and Finance Committee could see an increase of funding, by $560 million from cap and trade revenue, if the Legislature adopts the proposal.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Sheep in the Box is is set in the near future in which a couple adopts a state-of-the-art humanoid as their son, while Look Back is adapted from Tatsuki Fujimoto’s eponymous bestselling manga about two girls pursuing their dreams of becoming manga artists.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 1 Jan. 2026
Translating Anthony Burgess’s stylized, dystopian novel for the screen, Kubrick adopts a playful, formal approach that combines colorful, futuristic exuberance with rapid-fire editing, changes in camera speed, and a garish production design that melds space-age and Georgian-era aesthetics.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
This makeover movie stays pretty true to the original and revolves around Lilo (Maia Kealoha), a six-year-old, hula-loving Hawaiian surfer girl who adopts a furry blue alien creature named Stitch, who was created as a biological weapon.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 27 Dec. 2025
With over a decade of success in the AI-meets-education ecosystem, Ng adopts a Chef Gusteau approach to AI education and coding in particular, arguing that anybody and everybody should code given advancements in coding tools.
—Jared Perlo, NBC news, 27 Dec. 2025
The new Seltos grows in nearly every dimension, adds a raft of features and adopts styling consistent with Kia’s popular Telluride and EV9 three-row SUVs.
—Mark Phelan, USA Today, 15 Dec. 2025
The new Seltos grows in nearly every dimension, adds a raft of features and adopts styling consistent with Kia’s popular Telluride and EV9 three-row SUVs.
—Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 11 Dec. 2025
Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 11 Jan. 2026
The state’s Housing Development and Finance Committee could see an increase of funding, by $560 million from cap and trade revenue, if the Legislature adopts the proposal.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Sheep in the Box is is set in the near future in which a couple adopts a state-of-the-art humanoid as their son, while Look Back is adapted from Tatsuki Fujimoto’s eponymous bestselling manga about two girls pursuing their dreams of becoming manga artists.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 1 Jan. 2026
Translating Anthony Burgess’s stylized, dystopian novel for the screen, Kubrick adopts a playful, formal approach that combines colorful, futuristic exuberance with rapid-fire editing, changes in camera speed, and a garish production design that melds space-age and Georgian-era aesthetics.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
This makeover movie stays pretty true to the original and revolves around Lilo (Maia Kealoha), a six-year-old, hula-loving Hawaiian surfer girl who adopts a furry blue alien creature named Stitch, who was created as a biological weapon.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 27 Dec. 2025
With over a decade of success in the AI-meets-education ecosystem, Ng adopts a Chef Gusteau approach to AI education and coding in particular, arguing that anybody and everybody should code given advancements in coding tools.
—Jared Perlo, NBC news, 27 Dec. 2025
The new Seltos grows in nearly every dimension, adds a raft of features and adopts styling consistent with Kia’s popular Telluride and EV9 three-row SUVs.
—Mark Phelan, USA Today, 15 Dec. 2025
The new Seltos grows in nearly every dimension, adds a raft of features and adopts styling consistent with Kia’s popular Telluride and EV9 three-row SUVs.
—Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 11 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adopts
Verb
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That’s the way of the football world — everybody borrows from each other.—
David Eckert,
Austin American Statesman,
7 Jan. 2026
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Retro design roots The cyberdeck borrows heavily from early mobile computing.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Dabis embraces the conventions of melodrama with sombre grace.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
14 Jan. 2026
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And in a rare moment of humility and sincerity, Marty embraces and praises his opponent and wishes him well at the world championships.—
Jenelle Riley,
Variety,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adopts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adopts. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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