as in dating
the series of social engagements shared by a couple looking to get married
after two years of courting, they finally married
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in wooing
to act so as to make (something) more likely
you're courting disaster if you keep playing with matches
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in making love
to go on dates that may eventually lead to marriage
they courted for a year before getting married
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of courting
Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 17 Aug. 2025
Advertisement Back at home, Democrats hit out at Trump for his courting of Putin.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 16 Aug. 2025
The effort and time that goes into courting, the intentionality of charming someone, are part of the fun for me and doing so in person is the icing on the cake.
—Aj Mason, Them., 8 Aug. 2025
Evan Clark, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
For Russia, courting better relations with American allies might help relieve the economic pressure that sanctions have imposed.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Hong Kong set its eyes on courting cryptocurrency business in 2022 with its first policy statement on digital assets.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
Elite Chinese universities fail to attract applicants China’s historically elite universities face growing pressure from a diverse crop of competitors courting applicants fearful of a brutal labor market.
—semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2025
With every stride, the leader breathes into the whistle clenched between his lips, producing a noise like the courting sigh of some prairie bird.
—Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
The timing prompted speculation about whether or not politics were involved in the decision, as Colbert had just used his platform to slam CBS' parent company, Paramount, for courting favor with Trump by agreeing to donate millions toward his future presidential library.
—Meredith Kile, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Organizations in Japan had been actively courting tourists from the 1920s onward—initially as a boost to the economy, but, after war broke out, as a key propaganda strategy as well.
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 22 Aug. 2025
The couple married in a private ceremony in May 2024, after courting rumors about their relationship as far back as 2021 amid a series of public appearances.
—EW.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Noun
More importantly, he’s seen as Kemp’s preferred pick in the race after the governor declined an opportunity to run himself despite much courting from his party.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 17 Aug. 2025
Advertisement Back at home, Democrats hit out at Trump for his courting of Putin.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 16 Aug. 2025
The effort and time that goes into courting, the intentionality of charming someone, are part of the fun for me and doing so in person is the icing on the cake.
—Aj Mason, Them., 8 Aug. 2025
Verb
As the fashion types begin to migrate to New York for the start of fashion week, the C-suite bigwigs were leaning in on Wall Street, courting investors at Goldman Sachs’ annual retail conference.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
For Russia, courting better relations with American allies might help relieve the economic pressure that sanctions have imposed.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Hong Kong set its eyes on courting cryptocurrency business in 2022 with its first policy statement on digital assets.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
Elite Chinese universities fail to attract applicants China’s historically elite universities face growing pressure from a diverse crop of competitors courting applicants fearful of a brutal labor market.
—semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2025
With every stride, the leader breathes into the whistle clenched between his lips, producing a noise like the courting sigh of some prairie bird.
—Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
The timing prompted speculation about whether or not politics were involved in the decision, as Colbert had just used his platform to slam CBS' parent company, Paramount, for courting favor with Trump by agreeing to donate millions toward his future presidential library.
—Meredith Kile, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Organizations in Japan had been actively courting tourists from the 1920s onward—initially as a boost to the economy, but, after war broke out, as a key propaganda strategy as well.
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 22 Aug. 2025
The couple married in a private ceremony in May 2024, after courting rumors about their relationship as far back as 2021 amid a series of public appearances.
—EW.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for courting
Noun
-
This leaves many users disillusioned with digital dating and pushes them toward reverse catfishing in pursuit of less performative connections.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Aside from fake dating, the novel is full of beloved, albeit cheesy, rom-com tropes.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But wooing Western partners would likely involve some compromises that these dictators are probably unwilling to make.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Of course, the woman-wooing MI6 agent is a role some believe should not exclude female actresses, too.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
In a five-photo joint post on Instagram on Tuesday, Kelce and Swift revealed their engagement after a courtship that lasted for about two years.—
Dave Skretta,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's two-year courtship is sparking a social media debate about engagement timing.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Courting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/courting. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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