CHAMPION Synonyms: 113 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'champion' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of champion are advocate , back , support , and uphold . While all these words mean "to favor actively one that meets opposition," champion suggests publicly defending one unjustly attacked or too weak to advocate his or her own cause. // championed the rights of children

Q: When can 'advocate' be used instead of 'champion'?

The words advocate and champion can be used in similar contexts, but advocate stresses urging or pleading. // advocated prison reform

Q: When might 'back' be a better fit than 'champion'?

Although the words back and champion have much in common, back suggests supporting by lending assistance to one failing or falling. // refusing to back the call for sanctions

Q: When could 'support' be used to replace 'champion'?

In some situations, the words support and champion are roughly equivalent. However, support is least explicit about the nature of the assistance given. // supports waterfront development

Q: Where would 'uphold' be a reasonable alternative to 'champion'?

While the synonyms uphold and champion are close in meaning, uphold implies extended support given to something attacked. // upheld the legitimacy of the military action

champion 1 of 2

noun

ˈcham-pē-ən

Definition of champion

as in champ

the person who comes in first in a competition the champion of the national spelling bee

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

loser

as in proponent

a person who actively supports or favors a cause she's the biggest champion of budget reform in the Congress

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

champion

2 of 2

verb

as in to advocate

to promote the interests or cause of he has always championed the protection of abused animals

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word champion different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of champion are advocate, back, support, and uphold. While all these words mean "to favor actively one that meets opposition," champion suggests publicly defending one unjustly attacked or too weak to advocate his or her own cause.

championed the rights of children

When can advocate be used instead of champion?

The words advocate and champion can be used in similar contexts, but advocate stresses urging or pleading.

advocated prison reform

When might back be a better fit than champion?

Although the words back and champion have much in common, back suggests supporting by lending assistance to one failing or falling.

refusing to back the call for sanctions

When could support be used to replace champion?

In some situations, the words support and champion are roughly equivalent. However, support is least explicit about the nature of the assistance given.

supports waterfront development

Where would uphold be a reasonable alternative to champion?

While the synonyms uphold and champion are close in meaning, uphold implies extended support given to something attacked.

upheld the legitimacy of the military action

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 champion

Noun

Rolapp offered the deal to three other major champions, including Rahm, giving them a two-week deadline to decide. — ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026 Vitali Klitschko, the former heavyweight boxing champion who now serves as mayor of Kyiv, is also seen as a prime contender. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026

Verb

Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, one of the accord’s signatories, has rejected calls for an industry-wide slowdown championed by the likes of Amodei and Altman. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 14 Oct. 2026 Melbourne’s memobottle has spent more than a decade championing flat water bottles. — New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for champion

Recent Examples of Synonyms for champion

Noun

Ohtani seemed to shake off months of doldrums, hitting a three-run home run in the second inning that put the defending champs up with a big lead.

— Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Whoever is crowned the champ will take home a $25,000 cash prize and a Kitchen Aid equipment package.

— Katie Campione, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of champ

Noun

One of the leading proponents of an energy-centric view of disease is Martin Picard, a biologist who directs the Mitochondrial Psychobiology Group at Columbia University.

— Rowan Jacobsen, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
The No campaign accused measure proponents of misusing the state office.

— Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of proponent

Verb

Finally, Louise herself, who had since left the region and was now twice divorced, returned to advocate for the historical importance of her old home, which never did receive official landmark status, locally or otherwise.

— Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Human rights lawyer Rosy Auguste Ducena, who advocates for the rights of victims of violence, says the Haitian public is fed up with the slow pace of change.

— Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of advocate

Noun

The Brewers will face the winner of the ALCS — the Cleveland Guardians lead the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 in the series — in the World Series, which begins next Friday in Milwaukee.

— Greg Rosenstein, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026
Shane Pinto scored the shootout winner to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 2-1 win over the New York Islanders on Thursday night.

— CBS News, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of winner

Noun

Even some supporters of capital punishment, including a number of Republican lawmakers, seemed repelled by the prospect.

— Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
The bottom line of Milton Friedman and other supporters of neoliberalism was that there has to be effective competition, there has to be open entry.

— John E. McDonough, STAT, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of supporter

Verb

Eight years ago, protesters frequently drove coverage in their preferred direction by disrupting candidates (Movimiento Cosecha pushed Biden to endorse a deportation moratorium, for instance) and showing up to press them at Q&As.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
There’s currently a petition circulating among them urging national leaders to respect their vote to endorse Raman.

— Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of endorse

Verb

The ban had been imposed by the central elections committee, a political body dominated by Netanyahu allies, on the basis that the parties supported armed struggle against Israel.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 18 Oct. 2026
For a government overseeing a population dominated by mobile expats, that created a lot of uncertainty in terms of establishing an economic base that can support a welfare system and basic state infrastructure.

— Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of support

Cite this Entry

Style

“Champion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/champion. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of champion

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