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
Their Eyes adopts the documentary mode and is narrated entirely by crowdworkers—specifically, annotators contracted to segment and label images to create training data for self-driving cars.
—
Farren Fei Yuan, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
Morina’s direct style — following Shaban and Hatixhe closely, highlighting the physicality of their labor — adopts the matter-of-fact attitude of his protagonists.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
Expanding upon his 2022 Sundance Short Film Jury Award-winning short by the same name, writer-director Walter Thompson-Hernández adopts a painter’s eye towards the local Watts community.
—Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 29 Jan. 2026
As more of the population adopts this technology, this energy problem will only further compound.
—Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Lost, Helen adopts a goshawk and throws herself into the world of big bird ownership, gloves and all.
—Adam Graham, Boston Herald, 24 Jan. 2026
The president who controversially cut funding for mental health services plays a psychologist named Professor Boyd who adopts a monkey as his son to prove that personality traits are shaped by one’s environment, not one’s genetics.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
His initial budget proposal, released last week, basically adopts the current spending plan, with a few tweaks that continue his ideological drift to the right.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2026
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
Farren Fei Yuan, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
Morina’s direct style — following Shaban and Hatixhe closely, highlighting the physicality of their labor — adopts the matter-of-fact attitude of his protagonists.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
Expanding upon his 2022 Sundance Short Film Jury Award-winning short by the same name, writer-director Walter Thompson-Hernández adopts a painter’s eye towards the local Watts community.
—Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 29 Jan. 2026
As more of the population adopts this technology, this energy problem will only further compound.
—Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Lost, Helen adopts a goshawk and throws herself into the world of big bird ownership, gloves and all.
—Adam Graham, Boston Herald, 24 Jan. 2026
The president who controversially cut funding for mental health services plays a psychologist named Professor Boyd who adopts a monkey as his son to prove that personality traits are shaped by one’s environment, not one’s genetics.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
His initial budget proposal, released last week, basically adopts the current spending plan, with a few tweaks that continue his ideological drift to the right.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adopts
Verb
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This recipe borrows that same concept and scales it up to a Bundt pan size.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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The plan, unanimously approved by the House Judiciary Committee, borrows from changes made in the public-school system after the 2018 mass shooting at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.—
Jim Saunders,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Wayne Gretzky Distillery’s Maple Cask Whisky, named Blended Whisky of the Year, embraces cask influence to create a distinctly Canadian profile.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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The spa The resort’s spa embraces water to create an oasis-like environment that contrasts with the arid environment outside.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adopts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adopts. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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