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
Immigration lawyers, human rights advocates and families say the rule marks one of the most extreme deportation tactics yet under President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration approach. Antonio Maria Delgado july 14, Miami Herald, 14 July 2025 The city confirmed Monday that a group of residents and labor advocates successfully halted the expansion of a special taxing district intended to spur development in the Railyards. Sacbee.com, 14 July 2025
Verb
The new data is already helping residents advocate for environmental justice and make informed decisions about their health. Youssef Rafik, Hartford Courant, 12 July 2025 Dershowitz, 86, has long denied accusations linking him to Epstein’s abuse network and has advocated full transparency in the case. Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 11 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for advocate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for advocate
Noun
  • Though no concrete evidence was ever provided, proponents of the rumor published multiple videos on YouTube, Facebook and other social media platforms detailing their claims.
    Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 July 2025
  • Crypto proponents say those rules could legitimize stablecoins, making banks, retailers and consumers more comfortable with using them to transfer funds.
    Niket Nishant, USA Today, 12 July 2025
Noun
  • The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department issued the citation on Thursday, July 10, his lawyer, Worrick G. Robinson IV, confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE.
    Daniel S. Levine, People.com, 11 July 2025
  • Keefe became one of the state’s most sought after criminal defense lawyers in the 1980s and ‘90s.
    Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • This is because the clerics who have issued or endorsed the threats belong to an ultra-hard-line camp inherently against any diplomatic engagements with the U.S. or the West.
    Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
  • The teachers union joins a growing list of labor organizations endorsing Wu in her incumbent campaign against Josh Kraft, including the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association, several SEIU locals, Teamsters Local 25 and more.
    Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 10 July 2025
Noun
  • The President’s supporters have expressed anger and frustration over how the Administration has handled the case in the wake of the move.
    Chantelle Lee, Time, 14 July 2025
  • Ryan was the sole supporter of his family at the time of his death, per the fundraising page.
    Toria Sheffield, People.com, 13 July 2025
Noun
  • Craig’s attorneys have not responded to requests for comment.
    Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 15 July 2025
  • Bell’s attorneys filed a similar petition with the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday, but the panel has not yet issued a ruling.
    David Fischer, Sun Sentinel, 15 July 2025
Verb
  • In addition, the iron, copper and zinc in quinoa work together to support energy production, the immune system and overall health for bones, skin and brain function.
    Bethany Thayer, Freep.com, 12 July 2025
  • After Amanda was born in 2001, the family of four moved again from New Jersey to Florida to support Maria’s growing tennis ambitions.
    Emily Blackwood, People.com, 12 July 2025
Noun
  • In the audio world, Audeze is known as the leading exponent of planar-magnetic headphones, an advanced driver technology that produces sound in a different way to the more usual dynamic drivers found in most headphones.
    Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 13 July 2025
  • Specifically, your function has to be a polynomial — a combination of variables raised to whole-number exponents and multiplied by coefficients.
    Stephen Ornes, Quanta Magazine, 17 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Advocate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/advocate. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.

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