1
as in to marry
to give in marriage a couple eager to espouse their eldest daughter

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2
as in to propose
to take as a spouse heeded his father's advice to espouse someone with whom he had common interests

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3

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb espouse differ from other similar words?

The words adopt and embrace are common synonyms of espouse. While all three words mean "to take an opinion, policy, or practice as one's own," espouse adds an implication of close attachment to a cause and a sharing of its fortunes.

espoused the cause of women's rights

In what contexts can adopt take the place of espouse?

The words adopt and espouse are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, adopt implies accepting something created by another or foreign to one's nature.

forced to adopt new policies

When might embrace be a better fit than espouse?

The synonyms embrace and espouse are sometimes interchangeable, but embrace implies a ready or happy acceptance.

embraced the customs of their new homeland

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 espouse Rauw has spent the bulk of his career proclaiming himself a showman, openly espousing his love for Michael Jackson, Usher, and Chris Brown. Juan J. Arroyo, Rolling Stone, 10 June 2025 Co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration, which espoused allowing younger and healthier members of society develop natural immunity without lockdowns or social distancing. Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 13 June 2025 However, some of the new members have previously espoused anti-vaccine sentiments, especially around COVID-19 vaccines and mRNA technology. Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 11 June 2025 Another hurdle is getting buy-in from red states, where many politicians have espoused the view that hate crimes and domestic terrorism concerns are exaggerated by liberals to police conservative thought. Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 31 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for espouse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for espouse
Verb
  • McDavid’s older brother, Cameron is getting married, and McDavid’s Oilers teammate, Leon Draisaitl, is marrying actress Celeste Desjardins — a close friend of Kyle’s since their high-school days in Sudbury, Ont.
    Carol Schram, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
  • Bezos, who is the billionaire founder and CEO of Amazon, has been married once before; so has Sánchez.
    Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • What’s next: The majority of major companies will adopt synthetic data strategies by December.
    Steven Wolfe Pereira, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • After a lengthy discussion on what to send back to the jury, Judge Subramanian adopted the language for the note proposed by the prosecution.
    Tracy Wright , Lauryn Overhultz , Maria Paronich , Brendan McDonald, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • During his stay, Diggs fully embraced island living and made the most of the amenities Sandals Royal Curaçao had to offer.
    Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 24 June 2025
  • Kim smiled, remembering how her colleagues embraced Gus.
    Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025
Verb
  • However the fund, which had been struggling to pay claims prior to the pandemic, was soon exhausted, and the state borrowed about $20 billion from the federal government to keep benefits flowing.
    Dan Walters, Mercury News, 28 June 2025
  • The concept borrows from Franco American journeys like the SS Île de France, which used to cross the Atlantic from Le Havre, France, to New York between 1927 and 1958.
    Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 28 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Espouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/espouse. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

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