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
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Recent Examples of espousing
Both are confident, charismatic personalities who are comfortable espousing ideas that spark controversy, even within their own parties.
—
Susan Page, USA Today, 12 Jan. 2026
These ethically complex practices around the beginning and end of life have always stirred controversy, but the conversation is heating up — just as some American political leaders are espousing eugenic ideas.
—O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 2 Jan. 2026
Publicly, the livestreamer has described himself as a Christian nationalist, espousing anti-LGBTQ, anti-feminist, misogynist views while calling out Kirk’s conservative organization, Turning Point USA, for not taking enough of a hard line.
—The Deadline Team, Deadline, 14 Nov. 2025
Epting is accused in the defamation suit of framing a social media post of the former punter’s as espousing violence, which Kluwe denied.
—City News Service, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025
Vance was also at the forefront of a push to rehire Department of Government Efficiency staffer Marko Elez, who resigned after his past social media posts espousing racist sentiments were exposed.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 17 Oct. 2025
At the time of his death, Kirk had developed a following of millions online, espousing socially conservative Christian beliefs.
—Elena Moore, NPR, 14 Oct. 2025
After a summer-long saga that saw his agent Aaron Turner embark on a media tour espousing the individual talents of a client forced to play within the Warriors’ system, Sunday’s game provided Kuminga his first opportunity of the preseason to be The Guy.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, parties espousing nationalist rhetoric are on the rise across Europe, with right-wing nationalist movements counting historic electoral turnouts in a number of nations.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
Susan Page, USA Today, 12 Jan. 2026
These ethically complex practices around the beginning and end of life have always stirred controversy, but the conversation is heating up — just as some American political leaders are espousing eugenic ideas.
—O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 2 Jan. 2026
Publicly, the livestreamer has described himself as a Christian nationalist, espousing anti-LGBTQ, anti-feminist, misogynist views while calling out Kirk’s conservative organization, Turning Point USA, for not taking enough of a hard line.
—The Deadline Team, Deadline, 14 Nov. 2025
Epting is accused in the defamation suit of framing a social media post of the former punter’s as espousing violence, which Kluwe denied.
—City News Service, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025
Vance was also at the forefront of a push to rehire Department of Government Efficiency staffer Marko Elez, who resigned after his past social media posts espousing racist sentiments were exposed.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 17 Oct. 2025
At the time of his death, Kirk had developed a following of millions online, espousing socially conservative Christian beliefs.
—Elena Moore, NPR, 14 Oct. 2025
After a summer-long saga that saw his agent Aaron Turner embark on a media tour espousing the individual talents of a client forced to play within the Warriors’ system, Sunday’s game provided Kuminga his first opportunity of the preseason to be The Guy.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, parties espousing nationalist rhetoric are on the rise across Europe, with right-wing nationalist movements counting historic electoral turnouts in a number of nations.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for espousing
Verb
-
His brother, a defrocked Catholic priest with a Cessna Skyhawk aircraft and a Lincoln Continental, was excommunicated for marrying his secretary.—
Jasper Craven,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
While speaking to press at the festival, the As Ever founder opened up about her return to acting—her first time doing so since marrying into the royal family in 2018.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
For many startups in 2026, adopting AI no longer feels like a strategic choice.—
Abdo Riani,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Then, businesses were adopting AI, such as chatbots provided by Microsoft, OpenAI and others.—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Leaders can easily adopt visuals by prioritizing clarity, using one visual per message, replacing text with structure, and embracing informal methods.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
That person reaches out for a man and the two link up, embracing.—
Jack Brook,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Saviour follows Ben, played by Archie Fisher (Death by Lightning), who, after borrowing his dad’s police uniform for a costume party, gets into an altercation that results in a man’s death.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Although interest rates on new-car loans have edged lower, buyers are borrowing larger amounts — the average amount financed for a new car recently reached an all-time high, according to Edmunds.—
Jessica Dickler,
CNBC,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Espousing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/espousing. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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