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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of espousing
Presumably, this presented Hulu with its clearest, cleanest path to finally getting past the Whedon mess that had cast a shadow over the franchise espousing female empowerment.
—
Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 8 Apr. 2026
The mom recalls her as a former student espousing a radical totalitarian ideology, and the new girlfriend begins to build a powerful following, tearing apart the family from within.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Here’s Bianco on social media not long ago, once again definitely not espousing partisan voter conspiracies.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
For Hankins-Biggers and her team, espousing empty platitudes isn’t enough.
—Essence, 22 Mar. 2026
Hyde’s big-hearted story about the LGBTQ+ community arrived just as a new American president was espousing anti-trans rhetoric from the Oval Office.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 16 Feb. 2026
The tension in boys flag football About seven miles away from where the Lick-Wilderming boys are running routes and espousing the value of flag football, the NFL prepares for the inaugural Super Bowl-week Pro Bowl.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 7 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
Eric Berg With a doctor of chiropractic degree on his resume, Eric Berg entered the public spotlight after espousing the life-affirming benefits of the keto diet, a high-fat, low-carbohydrate regimen that a 2024 NIH study review warns against maintaining long-term without medical supervision.
—Alexa Lee, STAT, 27 Jan. 2026
Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 8 Apr. 2026
The mom recalls her as a former student espousing a radical totalitarian ideology, and the new girlfriend begins to build a powerful following, tearing apart the family from within.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Here’s Bianco on social media not long ago, once again definitely not espousing partisan voter conspiracies.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
For Hankins-Biggers and her team, espousing empty platitudes isn’t enough.
—Essence, 22 Mar. 2026
Hyde’s big-hearted story about the LGBTQ+ community arrived just as a new American president was espousing anti-trans rhetoric from the Oval Office.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 16 Feb. 2026
The tension in boys flag football About seven miles away from where the Lick-Wilderming boys are running routes and espousing the value of flag football, the NFL prepares for the inaugural Super Bowl-week Pro Bowl.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 7 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
Eric Berg With a doctor of chiropractic degree on his resume, Eric Berg entered the public spotlight after espousing the life-affirming benefits of the keto diet, a high-fat, low-carbohydrate regimen that a 2024 NIH study review warns against maintaining long-term without medical supervision.
—Alexa Lee, STAT, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for espousing
Verb
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But Bateman circumvented authorities by often marrying the mothers of his young wives.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Smith-Schuster is marrying Laura Kruk, who is a fitness coach.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The state is an outlier nationwide because of its stubborn resistance to adopting cleaner, cheaper sources of energy.—
Margie Mason,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Vivian, who came out as transgender in 2020, legally dropped her father's surname 18 years later, adopting Wilson as her last name.—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The last three, four, five years everybody is embracing this rugged styling.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
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His remarks sparked a torrent of criticism on social media, where some commentators faulted him for embracing technology that could kill jobs in the entertainment industry.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Inflation in March surged to its highest level in years, and a frozen Federal funds rate that hasn't been reduced since December is helping to keep borrowing costs high.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
City officials could also consider putting another bond issue to voters in the coming months to help pay for necessary improvements to the buildings, borrowing $12-15 million against future tax payments.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Espousing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/espousing. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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