ADOPTS Synonyms: 54 Similar and Opposite Words

adopts

verb

present tense third-person singular of adopt

as in borrows

to take for one's own use (something originated by another) shortly after moving to the U.S., the family dutifully adopted the American tradition of having turkey for Thanksgiving

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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 adopts The aircraft’s arrival also reflects a broader shift in how law enforcement adopts new equipment. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026 Consistent with our principles of objectivity and fair process, the referral neither adopts nor rejects the factual assertions in your letter and does not prejudge OPR's assessment. — Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026 The 20-plus-piece collection adopts a modular system and adjustable silhouettes. — Denni Hu, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026 Before the city or state adopts or regulates an AI tool that touches housing, jobs, benefits or immigration, the people affected should be asked first. — Steven Choi, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026 By law, Maryland regularly adopts the international standard for that very reason. — Tom Nyein, Baltimore Sun, 3 Oct. 2026 Another key element of the measure is establishing a two-year budget cycle for the city, which currently adopts its budget annually. — Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026 But Eliot also uses free indirect discourse, the technique in which an omniscient narrator adopts the perspective of an individual character, to inhabit Dorothea beyond her surface qualities. — Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026 Success won’t be determined by who adopts AI the fastest or deploys post-quantum cryptography first. — Evgeny Gervis, Forbes.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for adopts

Verb

This creates a compounding cycle of high-cost debt where the business borrows money strictly to service existing commercial obligations, effectively pulling the operation underwater.

— Nathan Mor, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
The idea borrows from hotels and weddings and reframes those keepsakes as everyday home decor.

— Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of borrows

Verb

Progressives like Melat Kiros have signaled their votes for Jeffries might be up for grabs unless their leadership embraces more left-leaning policies, but most Democrats are skeptical about major defections.

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Designed to move between occasions, the collection embraces the growing versatility of innerwear as outerwear.

— Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of embraces

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adoptive

adopts

adorable

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

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Synonyms of adopts

verb

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