ADVOCATE Synonyms: 120 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

advocate 1 of 2

noun

ˈad-və-kət

Definition of advocate next

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

For some racial justice advocates, such cases serve as a constant reminder of the consequences of systemic racism in law enforcement. —

Travis Loller, Arkansas Online, 20 June 2026 All of this would be examined in a feasibility study the advocates are raising money for. —

Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026

Verb

And at a meeting with the State Board of Education in Austin in April, Lee's granddaughter, Dione Sims, advocated for the inclusion of Lee in Texas' Juneteenth curriculum. —

Briauna Brown, CBS News, 18 June 2026 The movement advocates for mindful consumption with an emphasis on environmental sustainability and ethical production. —

Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for advocate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for advocate

Noun

This year, as a hopeful reality competition host nominee and proponent of Top Chef earning another reality competition series nom, Kish finds herself in a unique position as a participant on season four of fellow Emmys juggernaut The Traitors.

— McKinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 21 June 2026
David DaCosta, of the 18-acre Ace*Mission Studios, is among those pushing for what’s known as a Business Improvement District, or BID, in the area that proponents refer to as the Boyle Heights Industrial Flats, which runs adjacent to the river.

— Alejandra Molina, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026