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embrace

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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
The striker did the rest, firing home via a deflection and careening into the embrace of the first rows, beyond delirious. Jack Lang, New York Times, 20 June 2025 The stars-on-the-rise were spotted at country singer Tyler Childers’s concert at the Hollywood Bowl on June 10, and pics of their embrace found their way to gossip blog DeuxMoi. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 17 June 2025
Noun
Kim smiled, remembering how her colleagues embraced Gus. Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025 But the industry spent north of $100 million in political donations, Trump embraced the sector, and a bipartisan group of legislators took up the mantle this Congress. Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for embrace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for embrace
Verb
  • As she was cleared of the most serious charges, Read hugged her lawyers — as booming cheers could be heard from the crowd gathered outside.
    Rachel Treisman, NPR, 18 June 2025
  • Swift, who was spotted in town the night before attending the Stanley Cup Finals with boyfriend Travis Kelce, went room to room, hugging patients, chatting, and taking photos with patients and hospital staff alike.
    Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 16 June 2025
Verb
  • The cost of pharmaceuticals has become prohibitive to patients and providers like hospitals, and the huge cost of advertising is wrapped into those costs.
    Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 June 2025
  • Compression: Another way to keep the swelling and inflammation is wrapping your calf.
    Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025
Verb
  • Pharmaceutical companies have adopted QR technologies for medication tracking from manufacturer to patient, ensuring authenticity and preventing counterfeits.
    Swati Tyagi, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
  • Other places, including Washington, D.C., more recently adopted it.
    Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • The couple welcomed daughter Mabel in 2012 and daughter Evelyn in 2014.
    Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2025
  • The entrepreneur welcomed three sons and one daughter with ex-wife MacKenzie Scott.
    Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 24 June 2025
Verb
  • The man’s body was found lying facedown, covered in a blanket and showing signs of trauma — including what appeared to be a stab wound to his back, a police source told the Daily News.
    Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 19 June 2025
  • One of the shows included Jackie Morris, the aforementioned illustrator of The Lost Words.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • Over the course of the next several days, more demonstrations and riots occurred in the surrounding neighborhood including Christopher Park.
    Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2025
  • This week, the weather in New York City—and many surrounding regions—could only be described as one visceral word: sauna.
    Christian Allaire, Vogue, 24 June 2025
Noun
  • Evolving Security And Identity Verification As personal identification evolves, banks and credit unions will need to assess the security, verification and acceptance of digital IDs.
    Deep Varma, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
  • Audiences may have responded variably—with titillation, acceptance, or shock, depending on the individual—but no one could say the film industry wasn’t inclusive of different relationship story arcs.
    Betsy Golden Kellem, JSTOR Daily, 25 June 2025
Noun
  • The launch represents a strategic move to tap into Shahid’s extensive regional user base and establish a foothold in the Arabic-speaking entertainment landscape.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 June 2025
  • Legacy media companies have struggled to maintain their foothold in recent years as viewers shift to alternative platforms for news and entertainment.
    Alain Sherter, CBS News, 9 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Embrace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/embrace. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

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