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

Miami officials are investigating the unauthorized removal of nearly a dozen native mahogany trees along I-95 after families and environmental advocates found the threatened species cut down to stumps. — Abby Dodge, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026

Environmental groups, coastal advocates, and lawmakers mobilized against the measure, warning the exemption would set a dangerous precedent for California’s 50-year-old protections. — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026

Verb

The decision sparked widespread backlash from fans, filmmakers and the film’s stars, who continued to publicly advocate for the movie’s release. — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2026

The number of people detained by ICE increased by 58% – or more than 25,000 people – between 2025 and 2026, according to the Prison Policy Initiative, which advocates to end mass incarceration. — Ella Siegrist, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026

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