1
2
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Conservatives have been decrying identity politics for years, and liberals have been just as vigorously espousing them as key to winning races.
—
Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Twin Cities, 26 Sep. 2025
The actress, who rose to fame for her role as Hermione Granger across the series' eight movies, had previously spoken out in support of trans rights after Rowling first began espousing anti-trans rhetoric in 2019.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Sep. 2025
Conservatives have been decrying identity politics for years, and liberals have been just as vigorously espousing them as key to winning races.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 21 Sep. 2025
There’s nothing new about humans seeking to optimize their health and extend their lives (Hippocrates espoused cold baths; Benjamin Franklin touted vegetarianism), but the medium has changed.
—Harvard Business Review, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for espouse
Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Twin Cities, 26 Sep. 2025
The actress, who rose to fame for her role as Hermione Granger across the series' eight movies, had previously spoken out in support of trans rights after Rowling first began espousing anti-trans rhetoric in 2019.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Sep. 2025
Conservatives have been decrying identity politics for years, and liberals have been just as vigorously espousing them as key to winning races.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 21 Sep. 2025
There’s nothing new about humans seeking to optimize their health and extend their lives (Hippocrates espoused cold baths; Benjamin Franklin touted vegetarianism), but the medium has changed.
—Harvard Business Review, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for espouse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for espouse
Verb
-
The two married in 1965 but divorced a decade later.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
9 Oct. 2025
-
When the south end natives randomly reconnected about five years ago at the radio station where Steiger worked, Tingle, who has been married twice and lived more than half a century as a straight man, was just coming to terms with being gay.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Once again, in adopting a currency board, a country keeps its own currency and central bank.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
8 Oct. 2025
-
The nation’s highest court also adopted an ethics code to guide the justices after fierce criticism over undisclosed gifts, trips and other scandals, although there is no real means of enforcing either.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But that’s exactly what the 48-year-old CEO advises that Gen Zers today, who are struggling to get a footing and even getting fired months into new roles, should embrace.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Such precipitous emotional hurdles are just the right height for television, and co-showrunners Andy Parker and Jennifer Cecil embrace the self-doubting turmoil of Cameron’s arduous coming-of-age arc.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Dalio’s debt-cycle warning Dalio has spent decades studying how countries borrow, boom, and then buckle under the weight of their obligations.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
4 Oct. 2025
-
What many fans may not know is that this was all borrowed from a classic painting.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Espouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/espouse. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share