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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb embrace differ from other similar words?

The words adopt and espouse are common synonyms of embrace. While all three words mean "to take an opinion, policy, or practice as one's own," embrace implies a ready or happy acceptance.

embraced the customs of their new homeland

When could adopt be used to replace embrace?

The meanings of adopt and embrace largely overlap; however, adopt implies accepting something created by another or foreign to one's nature.

forced to adopt new policies

Where would espouse be a reasonable alternative to embrace?

The synonyms espouse and embrace are sometimes interchangeable, but espouse adds an implication of close attachment to a cause and a sharing of its fortunes.

espoused the cause of women's rights

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 embrace
Verb
That’s changed with a recent Broadway revival, starring Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez and Daniel Radcliffe, which was embraced by critics and audiences, while winning Tonys. Brent Lang, Variety, 19 May 2025 Judge, who embraced Soto on the field pregame, also made a pretty play, laying out for a looping Francisco Lindor liner in the third. Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 19 May 2025
Noun
Ironically, Trump’s embrace of crypto is pumping money into the industry while simultaneously damaging it. Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025 However, the word never quite disappeared the way some others have, and the rise of social media in the 2010s provided a new way to observe its use and its growing embrace by those particularly on the right as political polarization grew. Pilar Melendez, NBC news, 8 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for embrace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for embrace
Verb
  • The extra weight is believed to help calm the nervous system, mimicking the feeling of being hugged and promoting a sense of security and relaxation.
    Nora Colomer may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom., FOXNews.com, 21 May 2025
  • After the Mass, while meeting with dignitaries and world faith leaders, the pope broke protocol to hug his brother.
    Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2025
Verb
  • In the third image, Spears admires her new ring, while Maslow wraps his arms around her.
    Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 14 May 2025
  • The palate features red berry notes of strawberry and black cherry, black pepper, chili peppers, and wood spices, wrapped around an earthy and smoky core.
    Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
Verb
  • Charvel said the budget problems for the ongoing fiscal year can also be blamed partly on the Trump administration, which has made economic moves that city officials say would have been hard to predict when the budget was adopted last summer.
    David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 May 2025
  • Their imminent arrival means it’s never been more imperative to adopt a digital ecosystem that can extract and track your business data automatically for you.
    Kristin Savilia, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
Verb
  • For someone like me, raised in another country of immigrants, with one grandmother proficient in Guaraní and the other in Yiddish, my new country felt immediately familiar and welcoming.
    Graciela Mochkofsky, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
  • This year’s upcoming Orlando event will welcome more than 3,000 participants.
    Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Verb
  • The impressive ensemble cast also includes Regina King, Margaret Qualley, Amy Brenneman, Liv Tyler, and Ann Dowd.
    Barry Levitt, Time, 26 May 2025
  • Stuart would pack their trunks with clothes and supplies, including Uno cards and water guns, and cover them with stickers for drop-off.
    Sheila Yount, Arkansas Online, 25 May 2025
Verb
  • This is largely because of the general resentment surrounding Paul, not because of his heelish actions inside the ring, but because of his controversial actions outside of it.
    Jeremy Hanna, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
  • But this theory, like all others surrounding the expedition, is simply speculation—and it’s not fully supported by Inuit testimony.
    Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 May 2025
Noun
  • However, other traits like emotional acceptance or being highly goal-focused sometimes led to less supportive dynamics, suggesting that what’s adaptive for an individual may not always strengthen the relationship.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
  • There were thanks for Lineker’s contributions from the BBC’s director general Tim Davie but also the acceptance that there could be no reconciliation this time.
    Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Noun
  • Foot Locker, based in New York City, offers Dick’s a lot of potential, namely its huge real estate footprint, and would give the Pittsburgh company its first foothold overseas.
    Michelle Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2025
  • Having already gained a strong foothold across Asia, with companies such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and Grab being key pioneers, the focus is now on making these interoperable and reducing cross-border friction.
    Daniel Webber, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Embrace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/embrace. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

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