ESPOUSE Synonyms: 67 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'espouse' differ from other similar words?

The words adopt and embrace are common synonyms of espouse . While all three words mean "to take an opinion, policy, or practice as one's own," espouse adds an implication of close attachment to a cause and a sharing of its fortunes. // espoused the cause of women's rights

Q: In what contexts can 'adopt' take the place of 'espouse'?

The words adopt and espouse are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, adopt implies accepting something created by another or foreign to one's nature. // forced to adopt new policies

Q: When might 'embrace' be a better fit than 'espouse'?

The synonyms embrace and espouse are sometimes interchangeable, but embrace implies a ready or happy acceptance. // embraced the customs of their new homeland

espouse

verb

i-ˈspau̇z

Definition of espouse

as in to marry

to give in marriage a couple eager to espouse their eldest daughter

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to propose

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

as in to adopt

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb espouse differ from other similar words?

The words adopt and embrace are common synonyms of espouse. While all three words mean "to take an opinion, policy, or practice as one's own," espouse adds an implication of close attachment to a cause and a sharing of its fortunes.

espoused the cause of women's rights

In what contexts can adopt take the place of espouse?

The words adopt and espouse are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, adopt implies accepting something created by another or foreign to one's nature.

forced to adopt new policies

When might embrace be a better fit than espouse?

The synonyms embrace and espouse are sometimes interchangeable, but embrace implies a ready or happy acceptance.

embraced the customs of their new homeland

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 espouse Many posts written and shared by Hamam al Hamami on an X account that has since been deleted used derogatory language about women espoused by misogynistic online influencers. — Tucker Reals, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026 Hinton, known as the godfather of AI, is portrayed as a saintly figure who espouses a model of growth based on truth, patience, and moderation, much to the frustration of his pupil. — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026 Much like the SaaSpocalypse pain in enterprise software, which was awful, the market did come around to the idea that Cramer had espoused at the time — that enterprise software tools and AI can co-exist and even make each other better. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026 More than 40,000 people would pack an Omaha arena on the first Saturday in May to hear from Buffett and his longtime investing partner, Charlie Munger, who died in 2023 and espoused a similar take-it-slow and make-it-right approach to investing. — Josh Funk, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for espouse

Recent Examples of Synonyms for espouse

Verb

Since returning home, Moon has married, remained sober and spoken to young people about his experiences.

— Sam Crenshaw, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
The engagement news comes a month after Robach and Holmes married in a private Arkansas ceremony in September, and four years after the journalists’ romance rocked news media.

— Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of marry

Verb

How fast the benefits of a truly life-changing technology flow through the economy is the actual measure of how fast it is being adopted.

— Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Variety reports that the psychological thriller, which stars Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio as a married couple who travel to European small town to adopt a baby, will feature a cameo from Charli.

— Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of adopt

Verb

Yet a growing number of adults age 60 and older are embracing AI, using it for entertainment, planning trips and even accessing health information.

— Robin Brewer, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026
Over the past few years, Anthropic has embraced regulation in a way that other AI companies haven’t.

— Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of embrace

Verb

At Monza, Antonelli was borrowing the car of his future teammate, George Russell.

— Sam Knight, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
Staying at the frontier of AI is expensive, and Meta carries a lower credit rating than Alphabet, Amazon, or Microsoft, limiting its ability to keep borrowing.

— Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of borrow

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Style

“Espouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/espouse. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of espouse

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