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 Prior to promoting the film’s remaster, the band had not made an appearance together in decades. — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026 Mozeliak promoted Tim Leveque, the Angels’ double-A pitching coach, to the major league staff at the time. — Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026 Snippets of those conversations were included in a video promoting the award. — T.m. Brown, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026 To promote tourism, Ruidoso had signed a contract with Contour Airlines to provide flights between Denver and the village. — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for promote

Recent Examples of Synonyms for promote

Verb

Her husband started selling his collection of vintage rock band T-shirts online to help make ends meet.

— Amy L. Wong, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
Multiple shellstock tags from prior days were not labeled with the last date the shellfish was sold.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of sell

Verb

That production is the wrinkle that elevates Seventhirty’s lyrics from modern dating podcast material to pure melodrama.

— Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026
The guides elevate the safari experience by representing different places and people of Namibia, from the coastal cities of Swakopmund and Walvis Bay to the Himba in the far north-west and the Khwe Bushmen of the north-east.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of elevate

Verb

The bank also expects revenue to grow annually through 2028, targeting 5% growth that year compared with 2027, excluding notable items and on a constant currency basis.

— Jenny Lee, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
The vote, which had been scheduled for last week, was delayed after two days of deliberations because of growing wariness among Egyptians concerned about an intervention in Yemen's long-running conflict.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of grow

Verb

Beyond that, chapters are given flexibility to pick the time, frequency, location and method for publicizing their events, de la Mare says.

— Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 22 Oct. 2026
The city was charged $4,100 for sending 52,900 text messages on June 10 publicizing the Mayor’s Cup Fan Fest, a World Cup celebration held June 13 at Factory Town, an outdoor music and entertainment venue in Hialeah that Calvo frequently visits.

— Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of publicize

Verb

Warnock calls for more election funding Administrators said additional federal funding could help hire seasonal workers, upgrade equipment, improve polling-place accessibility and strengthen emergency preparations.

— CBS News, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
In 2024, a rebuilding project upgraded most of the camp’s guest-facing spaces to a higher level of luxury.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of upgrade

Verb

Also known as cattails or typha, the plants can be cultivated through paludiculture, the farming of wetland crops on rewetted land.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
It may be meant to teach posture or independence, invite play, cultivate an appreciation of craft, or eventually become an heirloom.

— Steven Weill, Architectural Digest, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of cultivate

Verb

Co-produced by John Congleton, the record swaps synth-pop for gutter-punk, with distorted guitars and clattering surf riffs as its weapons of choice.

— Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
However, this movie carries a hefty $100 million price tag (stop-motion animation is labor-intensive and takes years to produce) and likely won’t turn a theatrical profit.

— Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of produce

Browse Nearby Words

promos

promote

promoted

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Promote.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/promote. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of promote

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes