1
as in marrying
to give in marriage
a couple eager to espouse their eldest daughter
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in proposing
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
as in adopting
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
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Recent Examples of espousing
The prospect of a Catholic nun creating bold graphic silkscreens espousing the era’s peace and love ethos proved irresistible.
—
R. Daniel Foster, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Former vice president shared a cryptic tweet espousing the merits of humility ahead of the Capitol riot anniversary.
—Hugh Cameron, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025
The fiber is suitable for healthcare use, providing properties previously only available from plastic fibers, while also espousing sustainable attributes like biodegradability.
—Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019
Martin, while espousing a ‘trust the process’ approach, has not shown great faith in his players.
—Michael Cox, The Athletic, 14 Dec. 2024
From young al Qaeda fighter two decades ago, to rebel commander espousing sectarian tolerance.
—Nic Robertson, CNN, 8 Dec. 2024
There is no reason why a party espousing a more mainstream, less offensive version of such sentiments might not find its way into power at some point.
—Robert Kagan, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2019
By that standard, Martha Stewart was espousing the merits of fridgescaping before she’d even seen the inside of Alderson Federal Prison Camp.
—Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 1 Oct. 2024
Fritz Lenz was still very much alive and espousing his eugenic theories when his son took on Chemie Grünenthal, in the name of every single infant severely disabled at the hands of bad medicine.
—Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 26 Sep. 2024
R. Daniel Foster, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Former vice president shared a cryptic tweet espousing the merits of humility ahead of the Capitol riot anniversary.
—Hugh Cameron, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025
The fiber is suitable for healthcare use, providing properties previously only available from plastic fibers, while also espousing sustainable attributes like biodegradability.
—Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019
Martin, while espousing a ‘trust the process’ approach, has not shown great faith in his players.
—Michael Cox, The Athletic, 14 Dec. 2024
From young al Qaeda fighter two decades ago, to rebel commander espousing sectarian tolerance.
—Nic Robertson, CNN, 8 Dec. 2024
There is no reason why a party espousing a more mainstream, less offensive version of such sentiments might not find its way into power at some point.
—Robert Kagan, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2019
By that standard, Martha Stewart was espousing the merits of fridgescaping before she’d even seen the inside of Alderson Federal Prison Camp.
—Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 1 Oct. 2024
Fritz Lenz was still very much alive and espousing his eugenic theories when his son took on Chemie Grünenthal, in the name of every single infant severely disabled at the hands of bad medicine.
—Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 26 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for espousing
Verb
-
The Conners’ lives managed to move forward with surprising twists and turns, like patriarch Dan eventually dating and marrying musician/bartender Louise (Katey Sagal) during Season 4.—
Jim Halterman,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2025
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To leave means starting over in ways far more disruptive than sticking around and — chances are — marrying a fellow wealthy suburbanite.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Laurie, now adopting her own holier-than-thou perch, is just as bad.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
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Some coaches try to compromise with this reality, adopting systems and establishing patterns without strict choreography.—
Jeff Rueter,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Athletic has previously reported that United have discussed ticket price rises and the sale of stadium naming rights as ways to raise revenue for the project, while the club also held multiple rounds of exploratory talks with Bank of America earlier this year with a view to borrowing money.—
Adam Crafton,
The Athletic,
23 Dec. 2024
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For example, borrowing $500 for two weeks might come with a $75 fee, translating to a 391% APR.—
True Tamplin,
Forbes,
27 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Espousing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/espousing. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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