PROMOTE Synonyms: 180 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'promote' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of promote are advance , forward , and further . While all these words mean "to help (someone or something) to move ahead," promote suggests an encouraging or fostering and may denote an increase in status or rank. // a campaign to promote better health

Q: When might 'advance' be a better fit than 'promote'?

Although the words advance and promote have much in common, advance stresses effective assisting in hastening a process or bringing about a desired end. // advance the cause of peace

Q: When is it sensible to use 'forward' instead of 'promote'?

While the synonyms forward and promote are close in meaning, forward implies an impetus forcing something ahead. // a wage increase would forward productivity

Q: When would 'further' be a good substitute for 'promote'?

The synonyms further and promote are sometimes interchangeable, but further suggests a removing of obstacles in the way of a desired advance. // used the marriage to further his career

promote

verb

prə-ˈmōt

Definition of promote

as in to sell

to provide publicity for promoting a new line of toys based on the popular movie

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to elevate

to move higher in rank or position the navy promoted her to captain for her record of outstanding performance

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to encourage

to help the growth or development of a campaign promoting good dental hygiene

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to grow

to look after or assist the growth of by labor and care spends all her time now promoting her new business

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb promote contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of promote are advance, forward, and further. While all these words mean "to help (someone or something) to move ahead," promote suggests an encouraging or fostering and may denote an increase in status or rank.

a campaign to promote better health

When might advance be a better fit than promote?

Although the words advance and promote have much in common, advance stresses effective assisting in hastening a process or bringing about a desired end.

advance the cause of peace

When is it sensible to use forward instead of promote?

While the synonyms forward and promote are close in meaning, forward implies an impetus forcing something ahead.

a wage increase would forward productivity

When would further be a good substitute for promote?

The synonyms further and promote are sometimes interchangeable, but further suggests a removing of obstacles in the way of a desired advance.

used the marriage to further his career

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 promote Yet just a year earlier, none of those clubs had noticed how the young winger had begun to shine in La Liga’s lower reaches with Leganes, a small club to the south of Madrid, after being promoted from the team’s reserve side in Spain’s fifth tier. — Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 Gabriel Edwards had recently been promoted to captain, the highest officer rank in the Navy. — Catherine Bouvet, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026 In May, he was promoted from defensive coordinator and replaced Billy Skinner, who departed to become Grapevine-Colleyville ISD’s Executive Director of Athletics. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Sep. 2026 Organized by Unifrance, the org that promotes French TV and cinema, the annual Rendez-Vous has a different vibe to most markets. — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for promote

Recent Examples of Synonyms for promote

Verb

Meanwhile, a federal judge on Wednesday rejected the Justice Department's push to force Google to sell its ad exchange, another victory for the company against the government's antitrust efforts.

— MacKenzie Sigalos,Drew Troast, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
This Paige Shoulder Bag is selling like hot cakes, so much so that the baby blue style is already sold out.

— Alyssa Morin, InStyle, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of sell

Verb

Sovereign debt loads are already elevated across much of the world, and refinancing maturing debt at higher rates will progressively increase interest costs and strain public finances.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
Hot Docs, the world-class documentary film festival in Toronto, has announced some major personnel moves – elevating Diana Sanchez to president and bringing in Mara Gourd-Mercado to succeed Sanchez as executive director.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of elevate

Verb

By taking stem cells from a host’s own body and encouraging them to differentiate before mixing them with a commercially available, soluble matrix gel, researchers may have cracked the most critical problems in the transplant process.

— Mike McRae September 02, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
The bark can also be stripped from the branch, called girdling, which encourages faster root growth.

— Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of encourage

Verb

These grew louder each time a Ferrari left its garage and entered the pit lane before softening again, a call and response that echoed around the circuit.

— Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Its growing fleets of electric motorcycles and buses have been less exposed to the fuel-price shock than peers elsewhere on the continent, and have seen demand rise.

— Nana Menya Ayensu, semafor.com, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of grow

Verb

The secretary has publicized his meetings with everyone from health technology CEOs and regenerative farmers to addiction recovery specialists, fast-food executives, and beyond.

— Lauren Chan, STAT, 1 Sep. 2026
Talarico is hoping to raise further ethical questions about Paxton by publicizing the Unity Resources case.

— Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of publicize

Verb

Nvidia made the investments to enhance its growth opportunities, cultivate its ecosystem and strengthen its competitive position, the company said in its earnings.

— Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
Another novel where the author explores how to cultivate the mind, body, home, and social circle in order to propagate creativity, and wonders what happens when any or all elements become fallow or diseased.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of cultivate

Browse Nearby Words

promos

promote

promoted

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Style

“Promote.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/promote. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of promote

verb

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