1
as in marrying
to give in marriage
a couple eager to espouse their eldest daughter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 writings are filled with extremist material espousing anti-Islamic, antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ views.
—
Tom Winter, NBC news, 19 May 2026
And repetition – espousing the same ideas again and again – was an effective tactic.
—Yu-Ru Lin, The Conversation, 7 May 2026
The casting has always managed to feel diverse, but in a guileless, incidental way, giving the appearance of multicultural inclusion without espousing any explicitly progressive viewpoints.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2026
Campa-Najjar’s journey from espousing progressive positions to conservative ones and back again has required him to do a lot of explaining in recent years.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
However, the two political figures have also found common ground on the issue of affordability, with the president espousing a surprisingly positive tone about the mayor during the pair’s first Oval Office meeting last November.
—Sarah Davis, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2026
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
Tom Winter, NBC news, 19 May 2026
And repetition – espousing the same ideas again and again – was an effective tactic.
—Yu-Ru Lin, The Conversation, 7 May 2026
The casting has always managed to feel diverse, but in a guileless, incidental way, giving the appearance of multicultural inclusion without espousing any explicitly progressive viewpoints.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2026
Campa-Najjar’s journey from espousing progressive positions to conservative ones and back again has required him to do a lot of explaining in recent years.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
However, the two political figures have also found common ground on the issue of affordability, with the president espousing a surprisingly positive tone about the mayor during the pair’s first Oval Office meeting last November.
—Sarah Davis, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for espousing
Verb
-
The 71-year-old Today show weatherman shared details from Leila's big day marrying Sylvain Gricourt during the Monday, June 1 broadcast of the NBC morning show.—
Rachel McRady,
PEOPLE,
1 June 2026
-
The couple made things all the more official by marrying in 2014.—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Pitt also later joined Jolie in adopting Pax, 22, from Vietnam and Zahara from Ethiopia, while the couple also had three biological children together, Shiloh and twins, Vivienne and Knox.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
The move comes after the surname was noticeably absent when Maddox—who Jolie welcomed via adoption in 2002, with Pitt formally adopting him years later—was credited as an assistant director on his mom's new film Couture.—
Robyn Merrett,
InStyle,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
More recently, modern brides have started embracing more color in their wedding looks again.—
María Mérida,
Glamour,
30 May 2026
-
On the billboard is a photo of Díaz-Rosillo embracing the Argentinian president and right-wing firebrand.—
Daniel Rivero,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
The Fed typically raises its benchmark interest rate to help curb inflation by making borrowing more expensive and lowers it to stimulate economic growth and hiring.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
-
But 7 months ago, Christopher was borrowing money to pay his rent.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Espousing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/espousing. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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