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

Relevance

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

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 advocate

Noun

Sarah Eagan, a former child advocate who is now executive director of the Center for Children’s Advocacy, said some children’s identities may already have appeared in the media and therefore appear in OCA reports. —

Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 2 May 2026 Golf advocates are still fighting plans for a surf park proposed for the middle section of the course. —

Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 1 May 2026

Verb

Last time, no kiosks were installed in La Jolla, while inland transit communities like City Heights advocated for better representation. —

Harry Bubbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026 Much like Steyer, Porter has embraced progressive stances on various issues, advocating for single-payer healthcare. —

Anne Bryson, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for advocate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for advocate

Noun

Many proponents expressed frustration with the school board and administration as multiyear efforts to bring Arabic language instruction to District 230 appeared to stall, culminating with the recent resignation of the only Arab American member of the school board.

— Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
These excess profit taxes are not always as efficacious as proponents hope for.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 2 May 2026