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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Loeffler, along with first-year Eagles passing game coordinator Parks Frazier, is partly tasked with supplying them on a staff that espouses collaboration. Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025 Brickner, who is a former Valparaiso Police chief, has often espoused the need for non-monetary compensation to boost morale. Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2025 For 20 years, Kennedy has espoused the debunked theory that autism is caused by vaccines, dismissing evidence to the contrary by arguing that vaccine manufacturers, researchers and regulators all have an interest in obscuring their harms. Sharon Lerner, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025 For 20 years, Kennedy has espoused the debunked theory that autism is caused by vaccines, dismissing evidence to the contrary by arguing that vaccine manufacturers, researchers and regulators all have an interest in obscuring their harms. Sharon Lerner, ProPublica, 21 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for espouse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for espouse
Verb
  • He is married with two children.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Sep. 2025
  • The pair met in a lecture hall and dated for six years before marrying.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • About 41% of the respondents said Chinese companies were more advanced in adopting AI, with that share rising to 62% in the retail and consumer industry.
    Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025
  • In 2008, Ingraham adopted her first child from Guatemala, who is now a Texas A&M student.
    Jay Stahl, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Mourinho, Solskjaer and Ten Hag all embraced the challenge, to varying degrees of success.
    Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Democratic politicians aren’t exactly warmly embraced in these parts.
    David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Nearly every part of the couple's wedding was borrowed or gifted with love.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • In the first quarter of 2025, nearly 6 million people who had borrowed were at least 90 days behind or already in default.
    Brian Walsh, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Espouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/espouse. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on espouse

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!