Synonyms of espouse

espouse

verb

i-ˈspau̇z 

1

as in to marry

to give in marriage

a couple eager to espouse their eldest daughter

Synonyms & Similar Words

• marry
• match
• wed
• engage
• commit
• promise
• pledge
• affiance
• betroth

2

as in to propose

to take as a spouse

heeded his father's advice to espouse someone with whom he had common interests

Synonyms & Similar Words

• marry
• propose
• wed
• engage
• promise
• commit
• pledge
• affiance
• remarry
• betroth

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• separate (from)
• divorce

3

as in to adopt

to take for one's own use (something originated by another)

after working among them for two years in the Peace Corps, she felt compelled to espouse the peasants' cause for social justice

Synonyms & Similar Words

• adopt
• embrace
• borrow
• cultivate
• take up
• assimilate
• follow
• utilize
• take on
• incorporate
• use
• imitate
• pick up on
• usurp
• cherish
• absorb
• take over
• honor
• copy
• appropriate
• foster
• pretend
• heed
• assume
• arrogate
• treasure
• domesticate
• naturalize
• quote
• simulate
• raise
• nurture
• affect
• prize
• put on
• bring up
• rear

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• abandon
• relinquish
• forsake
• surrender
• give up
• reject
• renounce
• abjure
• disown
• repudiate
• spurn
• discard
• jettison
• throw away
• throw out
• abnegate
• junk

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

Recent Examples of espouse

Let’s continue the fight and the push at all levels to espouse the true benefit and value of these plans. —Torie Bosch, STAT, 7 Feb. 2026

Although anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protests continue at Targets and cities across the country, and celebrities continue to espouse anti-ICE rhetoric, more than two-thirds of Americans think local and state authorities should be cooperating with federal officials. —Elaine Mallon, Baltimore Sun, 4 Feb. 2026

The potency of the story is in how Felder, now 58, looks back on the totality of his life as an older gent, espousing wisdom that comes with age and self-interrogation. —David John Chávez, Mercury News, 30 Jan. 2026

Fink’s past critiques of capitalism Fink, who was appointed interim co-chair of the World Economic Forum in August 2025, replacing founder Klaus Schwab, has long espoused the reshaping of capitalism, seeing it as a responsibility of large asset managers like himself. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 20 Jan. 2026

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