advocate 1 of 2

advocate

2 of 2

verb

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of advocate
Noun
Rowe, a longtime vocational advocate, seized on data showing that while two skilled tradespeople enter the workforce, five retire each year. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025 Despite those efforts, human rights advocates continue to sound the alarm about Saudi Arabia. Liam Reilly, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
During the 1980s, the Pennsylvania Public Interest Coalition established the Transit Riders Action Campaign, also known as TRAC, which advocated that SEPTA have better safety, funding, accountability, service and stable fares. Menika Dirkson, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2025 The feds advocated in their own sentencing recommendations from earlier this week of Combs receiving a whooping 135 months, or just over 11 years. Dominic Patten, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for advocate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for advocate
Noun
  • Eide and other proponents of expanding hospitalization believe the administration could do even more.
    Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Closure of the bike path to undertake this project has drawn opposition from cycling proponents and West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero.
    Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Gibson's lawyer Gabe Banks said in a statement provided to EW on Tuesday that Gibson had moved his dogs to a new home.
    Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The teen's lawyer, Travis Dunnington, argued from the beginning that there was no evidence the teen intentionally harmed the officer.
    Cameron Knight, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In response to that news, Colbert received an outpouring of support from many of his current and former fellow talk-show hosts, including Kimmel, who even took out a billboard in Los Angeles endorsing Colbert (against his own show), for an Emmy.
    Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Although the ‘9-9-6’ workweek violates Chinese labor laws, it was famously endorsed by Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma in 2019.
    Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Back in the 1920s, even the Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin called on his British supporters to affiliate with the Labour Party instead of fighting it.
    Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2025
  • No victims speak in court While the court heard several pleas from Combs’ supporters Friday, the victims who testified at trial were noticeably absent from the hearing.
    Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Union attorneys argue the OMB overstepped its legal authority, asserting that federal law does not permit reductions in force during a lapse in appropriations.
    Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Graf asked after attorneys for both sides had introduced themselves.
    Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Smotrich demanded there be no agreement on Palestinian Authority or Qatari involvement in Gazan governance, nor anything that supports the concept of a future independent Palestinian state.
    David Brennan, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2025
  • The Patriots' defense has been solid, holding opponents to under 100 rushing yards in each of their first three games, but the offense must improve to support the defense.
    Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Stephanie Bell is none other than Stephanie Kelton, now an exponent of Modern Monetary Theory.
    Vipin Bharathan, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
  • As one careful exponent of technical legal craft addressing another, Burroughs hit the mark.
    Noah Feldman, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Advocate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/advocate. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

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