1
as in wooed
to act so as to make (something) more likely
you're courting disaster if you keep playing with matches
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in dated
to go on dates that may eventually lead to marriage
they courted for a year before getting married
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of courted
For years, if not decades, officials in Greenland have courted foreign direct investment.
—
Matt Egan, CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026
Iraqi Kurdish leaders courted Western oil companies and turned the territory into what was known as the most prosperous and stable part of Iraq.
—Jane Arraf, NPR, 22 Jan. 2026
Sarandos was asked about his consistently standoffish comments about theaters, even as the company has produced crowd-pleasing titles and courted top-tier filmmakers who are passionate about the theatrical experience.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2026
And Kennedy, who has courted the new crunchy movement, is revered by it.
—Will Carless, USA Today, 17 Jan. 2026
Party leaders have a unique chance to begin by offering the business community a genuine seat at the policymaking table, not as donors to be courted during campaign season, but as partners whose operational expertise can inform realistic solutions to the affordability crisis.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 13 Jan. 2026
Tip of the hat to defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who has coached so well he’s now being courted by the Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns as a potential head coaching candidate.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 13 Jan. 2026
Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter is being courted by a host of NFL teams — including the Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders — for head coaching jobs.
—Benjamin Royer, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Scott Adams, creator of the long-running comic strip Dilbert who courted controversy as a late-career political and social commentator, died today after a battle with cancer.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 13 Jan. 2026
Matt Egan, CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026
Iraqi Kurdish leaders courted Western oil companies and turned the territory into what was known as the most prosperous and stable part of Iraq.
—Jane Arraf, NPR, 22 Jan. 2026
Sarandos was asked about his consistently standoffish comments about theaters, even as the company has produced crowd-pleasing titles and courted top-tier filmmakers who are passionate about the theatrical experience.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2026
And Kennedy, who has courted the new crunchy movement, is revered by it.
—Will Carless, USA Today, 17 Jan. 2026
Party leaders have a unique chance to begin by offering the business community a genuine seat at the policymaking table, not as donors to be courted during campaign season, but as partners whose operational expertise can inform realistic solutions to the affordability crisis.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 13 Jan. 2026
Tip of the hat to defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who has coached so well he’s now being courted by the Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns as a potential head coaching candidate.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 13 Jan. 2026
Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter is being courted by a host of NFL teams — including the Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders — for head coaching jobs.
—Benjamin Royer, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Scott Adams, creator of the long-running comic strip Dilbert who courted controversy as a late-career political and social commentator, died today after a battle with cancer.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 13 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for courted
Verb
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In Single Lady, which premiered on Netflix in October 2024 after being filmed at her stand-up tour of the same name, Wong described how a man—revealed to be Hader later in the set—had wooed and pursued her, leading to her ultimately shedding that single lady status.—
Kase Wickman,
Vanity Fair,
8 Jan. 2026
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Arduini spent much of his early career at GE under the leadership of Jack Welch and then Jeff Immelt, leaving in 2005 before Culp wooed him back.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Hadid's younger brother Anwar dated Nicola Peltz Beckham from 2017 to 2018.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
22 Jan. 2026
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The memo, dated May 12, was recently shared with members of Congress.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In August 2023, military family members of the dead were invited to a roundtable to discuss the aftermath of the attack.—
Alexandra Rockey Fleming,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
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According to the Independent, Lewis invited close friends and family to the wedding.—
Janelle Ash,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Courted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/courted. Accessed 24 Jan. 2026.
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