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
Michael Schneider, Variety, 2 Mar. 2026
The courting of crypto He has been courting crypto ever since.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2026
And his courting of white nationalists and antisemites changed the face of the party.
—S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2026
With the courting process complete, Harbaugh is now tasked with turning around the beleaguered franchise that has made just two playoff appearances over the past 12 years and not made it past the divisional round.
—Stephen Whyno, Twin Cities, 17 Jan. 2026
Truth is, romance isn’t solely about the grand gestures and lavish courting.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
In addition to Air, the 2023 film about Nike’s courting of a young Michael Jordan, Convery is set to write the screenplay for The Tiger Slam, about Tiger Woods’ run of winning four consecutive major golf tournaments in 2000 and 2001.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 9 Dec. 2025
As the red bird had never been observed courting, it was assumed female.
—Mikelle Street, Them., 4 Dec. 2025
As boundaries shrink and conventions blur, romantic rivalries continue to erupt—as do their possibilities onscreen, from the partner-sharing poignancy of Jules et Jim to the karmic relationships of Sex and the City to the competitive-courting of Challengers.
—John Ortved, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2025
Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Mar. 2026
Qatar, after being put on the global map by Al Jazeera and the 2022 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament, is now turning to film and TV and courting Hollywood.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 3 Mar. 2026
Of course, Carrey has long been known for courting controversy and making unconventional personal choices, so being the target of a conspiracy theory probably isn’t off brand.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2026
Being a small-city mayor, and facing constituents every day in grocery stores and on street corners, turned out to be excellent practice for courting voters in intimate settings, and Buttigieg’s first-place caucus finish elevated him to contender status.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
When Paramount – a company in disarray and deep financial distress – started courting potential buyers in 2024, Ellison emerged as the white knight.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026
Zendaya’s Rue is still grappling with the ramifications of her opioid addiction, while Sydney Sweeney’s once sweet Cassie channels her suburban frustrations into courting attention online.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2026
The courting of crypto He has been courting crypto ever since.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2026
The findings quantify a global shift — emphasized most recently by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit to China this week and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s last month — in which Beijing is courting Washington’s traditional partners, nations now hedging between the superpowers.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 24 Feb. 2026
Noun
During Netflix’s courting process, co-CEO Ted Sarandos said all the right things and won over many inside HBO with the idea that the brand would stay intact and operate as its own quality label, much like FX inside Hulu and Disney.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 2 Mar. 2026
The courting of crypto He has been courting crypto ever since.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2026
And his courting of white nationalists and antisemites changed the face of the party.
—S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2026
With the courting process complete, Harbaugh is now tasked with turning around the beleaguered franchise that has made just two playoff appearances over the past 12 years and not made it past the divisional round.
—Stephen Whyno, Twin Cities, 17 Jan. 2026
Truth is, romance isn’t solely about the grand gestures and lavish courting.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
In addition to Air, the 2023 film about Nike’s courting of a young Michael Jordan, Convery is set to write the screenplay for The Tiger Slam, about Tiger Woods’ run of winning four consecutive major golf tournaments in 2000 and 2001.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 9 Dec. 2025
As the red bird had never been observed courting, it was assumed female.
—Mikelle Street, Them., 4 Dec. 2025
As boundaries shrink and conventions blur, romantic rivalries continue to erupt—as do their possibilities onscreen, from the partner-sharing poignancy of Jules et Jim to the karmic relationships of Sex and the City to the competitive-courting of Challengers.
—John Ortved, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
While the Olsens have stayed out of the public eye in recent years, Sweetin and Bure's relationship has often made headlines thanks to the Great American Family channel star frequently courting controversy with her anti-LGBTQ+ stances.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Mar. 2026
Qatar, after being put on the global map by Al Jazeera and the 2022 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament, is now turning to film and TV and courting Hollywood.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 3 Mar. 2026
Of course, Carrey has long been known for courting controversy and making unconventional personal choices, so being the target of a conspiracy theory probably isn’t off brand.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2026
Being a small-city mayor, and facing constituents every day in grocery stores and on street corners, turned out to be excellent practice for courting voters in intimate settings, and Buttigieg’s first-place caucus finish elevated him to contender status.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
When Paramount – a company in disarray and deep financial distress – started courting potential buyers in 2024, Ellison emerged as the white knight.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026
Zendaya’s Rue is still grappling with the ramifications of her opioid addiction, while Sydney Sweeney’s once sweet Cassie channels her suburban frustrations into courting attention online.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2026
The courting of crypto He has been courting crypto ever since.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2026
The findings quantify a global shift — emphasized most recently by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit to China this week and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s last month — in which Beijing is courting Washington’s traditional partners, nations now hedging between the superpowers.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 24 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for courting
Noun
-
Affordable dating in Austin isn’t about cutting corners.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Using radiocarbon dating, experts estimate these geological time capsules date back to around 2,000 years ago.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The rehabilitation itself will be expensive, and its success will depend on wooing private investors and overcoming a half-decade of adverse publicity.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Smelling blood in the bathwater, Therme has spent the past several years pushing for development in North American cities, spending massively on hiring and events and wooing community representatives and public officials.—
Madeline Leung Coleman,
Curbed,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Courting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/courting. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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