ADVOCATE Synonyms: 120 Similar and Opposite Words

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

Some common synonyms of advocate are back , champion , support , and uphold . While all these words mean "to favor actively one that meets opposition," advocate stresses urging or pleading. // advocated prison reform

Q: When is it sensible to use 'back' instead of 'advocate'?

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

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

In some situations, the words champion and advocate are roughly equivalent. However, champion suggests publicly defending one unjustly attacked or too weak to advocate his or her own cause. // championed the rights of children

Q: When is 'support' a more appropriate choice than 'advocate'?

The synonyms support and advocate are sometimes interchangeable, but support is least explicit about the nature of the assistance given. // supports waterfront development

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

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

advocate 1 of 2

noun

ˈad-və-kət

Definition of advocate next

as in proponent

a person who actively supports or favors a cause Mark Twain, Noah Webster, and President Theodore Roosevelt are among past advocates of a reformed spelling system

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in lawyer

a person whose profession is to conduct lawsuits for clients or to advise about legal rights and obligations with such a strong case against him, he's going to need the best advocate that money can buy

Synonyms & Similar Words

advocate

2 of 2

verb

ˈad-və-ˌkāt

as in to endorse

to promote the interests or cause of environmentalists advocating agricultural methods designed to slow the destruction of rain forests

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of advocate are back, champion, support, and uphold. While all these words mean "to favor actively one that meets opposition," advocate stresses urging or pleading.

advocated prison reform

When is it sensible to use back instead of advocate?

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

refusing to back the call for sanctions

When can champion be used instead of advocate?

In some situations, the words champion and advocate are roughly equivalent. However, champion suggests publicly defending one unjustly attacked or too weak to advocate his or her own cause.

championed the rights of children

When is support a more appropriate choice than advocate?

The synonyms support and advocate are sometimes interchangeable, but support is least explicit about the nature of the assistance given.

supports waterfront development

Where would uphold be a reasonable alternative to advocate?

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

upheld the legitimacy of the military action

Examples 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 advocate

Noun

However, climate advocates argued that LNG exports increase greenhouse gas emissions and undermine the development of cleaner energy sources, and some consumer groups expressed concerns about how gas exports would affect domestic energy prices. —

Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025 The announcement comes after advocates filed a petition in 2022 saying the dye was linked to cancer and behavioral problems in children. —

Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2025

Verb

As all good things must come to an end, Jones leaves behind an enduring legacy as a trailblazer, leader, and advocate for change in media. —

Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 16 Jan. 2025 As demand for air quality data blooms, researchers are racing to improve the output of low-cost sensors and advocating for the installation of different kinds of monitoring gear, like more pollen counting stations. —

Paresh Dave, WIRED, 16 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for advocate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for advocate

Noun

Lately, proponents of the cull have pointed to a 2023 study by researchers from the Animal and Plant Health Agency, which seemed to show a reduction in bovine tuberculosis.

— Anna Russell, The New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2025
That will shift the domestic balance of power away from proponents of the green transition.

— Matias Spektor, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025