Synonyms of advocate

advocate 1 of 2

noun

ˈad-və-kət 

1

as in proponent

a person who actively supports or favors a cause

Mark Twain, Noah Webster, and President Theodore Roosevelt are among past advocates of a reformed spelling system

Synonyms & Similar Words

• proponent
• supporter
• advocator
• exponent
• promoter
• champion
• friend
• apostle
• booster
• protagonist
• white knight
• expounder
• paladin
• true believer
• high priest
• herald
• hierophant
• tub-thumper
• espouser
• stalwart
• adherent
• interpreter
• loyalist
• backer
• disciple
• gospeler
• cheerleader
• encourager
• follower
• partisan
• cohort
• fellow traveler
• applauder

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• adversary
• opponent
• antagonist
• enemy
• foe
• critic
• rival
• faultfinder
• belittler

2

as in lawyer

a person whose profession is to conduct lawsuits for clients or to advise about legal rights and obligations

with such a strong case against him, he's going to need the best advocate that money can buy

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lawyer
• attorney
• counselor
• counsel
• solicitor
• attorney-at-law
• counselor-at-law
• prosecutor
• jurist
• legislator
• legal eagle
• prosecuting attorney
• district attorney
• trial lawyer
• mouthpiece
• criminal lawyer
• cocounsel
• lawmaker
• public defender
• shyster
• lawgiver
• Philadelphia lawyer
• ambulance chaser
• solon
• pettifogger

advocate

2 of 2

verb

ˈad-və-ˌkāt 

as in to endorse

to promote the interests or cause of

environmentalists advocating agricultural methods designed to slow the destruction of rain forests

Synonyms & Similar Words

• endorse
• support
• adopt
• champion
• embrace
• patronize
• help
• assist
• back
• stand up for
• aid
• go in for
• stick up for
• plump (for)
• hold a brief for
• plunk (for)
• reinforce
• preach
• espouse
• go to bat for
• plonk (for)
• save
• forward
• bolster
• abet
• rescue
• buttress
• side (with)
• further
• second
• advance
• backstop
• prop (up)
• boost
• bail out
• plug
• talk up
• deliver

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• oppose
• interfere
• thwart
• frustrate
• sabotage
• fail
• foil
• let down
• baffle
• disappoint
• desert

Synonym Chooser

How is the word advocate different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of advocate are back, champion, support, and uphold. While all these words mean "to favor actively one that meets opposition," advocate stresses urging or pleading.

advocated prison reform

When is it sensible to use back instead of advocate?

Although the words back and advocate have much in common, back suggests supporting by lending assistance to one failing or falling.

refusing to back the call for sanctions

When can champion be used instead of advocate?

In some situations, the words champion and advocate are roughly equivalent. However, champion suggests publicly defending one unjustly attacked or too weak to advocate his or her own cause.

championed the rights of children

When is support a more appropriate choice than advocate?

The synonyms support and advocate are sometimes interchangeable, but support is least explicit about the nature of the assistance given.

supports waterfront development

Where would uphold be a reasonable alternative to advocate?

While the synonyms uphold and advocate are close in meaning, uphold implies extended support given to something attacked.

upheld the legitimacy of the military action

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of advocate

Noun

Streets for All’s political action committee took out ads to elect Raman and defeat Bass, powered largely by contributions from hedge fund manager and bike lane advocate Aaron Sosnick. — Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026

For advocates, these technologies offer a vital tool in the climate fight, yet many remain at an early stage, are expensive to develop and a long way from being proven at scale. — Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2026

Verb

During a City Council hearing last September, several speakers advocated for Priscilla’s Law, which would require registration and license plates for e-bikes. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 5 Nov. 2026

Wong took a different path and co-founded a political party called Demosisto in 2016, advocating for self-determination and striving for a referendum on the city's political future. — ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026

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