espousing

verb

present participle of espouse
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

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 espousing Andrew Tate, 39, a former professional kickboxer, built a vast online following espousing misogynistic and hypermasculine views. — Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026 At the same time, the recent, deadly brutality of the agency and its partners has led, according to some polls, to strong support for such a policy; those espousing the slogan have included Bill Kristol, the neocon anti-Trump writer. — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026 At the time, neighbors like Cooke thought the policy was meant to deter flags showing support for sports teams or espousing political views. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026 Trump’s backers continued to complain about the touchscreen voting machines, with some loyalists espousing wild conspiracy theories. — Kate Brumback, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2026 And repetition – espousing the same ideas again and again – was an effective tactic. — Yu-Ru Lin, The Conversation, 7 May 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for espousing
  1. marrying
  2. adopting
  3. embracing
  4. borrowing
Verb
  • Did something happen in her youth that might inform why Cathy, after marrying Adam, goes on to shoot him, leave their newborns, join a brothel, slowly poison the madam, and then take her job?
    — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2026
  • After marrying the Duke of Kent, the Duchess of Kent became a working member of the Royal Family.
    — Stephanie Bridger-Linning, Vanity Fair, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of marrying
Verb
  • Readers with persistent scalp issues should still consult a dermatologist before adopting any new routine.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The transition to non-fossil energy has its own inflationary impacts, from the costs to heavy industry of adopting new technologies to the production costs of critical minerals.
    — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of adopting
Verb
  • Now 16, Kimbrough continues to build his career on the field while embracing his Mexican heritage.
    — Conor McGill, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Harry and Meghan appear more interested in faking the image of royalty than embracing its purpose.
    — Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of embracing
Verb
  • In 2024, the CFPB proposed a rule that would require the disclosure of tips and fees as finance charges as an APR, or the total yearly cost of borrowing money.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Concerns that tech companies are borrowing too much for the AI buildout sent neoclouds like CoreWeave , which has seen its total debt rise to more than $51 billion , plunging 25% last week.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of borrowing

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espouses
espousing
esprit
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Cite this Entry

“Espousing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/espousing. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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