as in embracing
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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Recent Examples of adopting
Bubbles Didn’t Enter The Picture That Early In one of the moist unintentionally hilarious moments in the movie, Michael shocks his family by adopting a CGI baby chimpanzee named Bubbles sometime around 1979.
—
Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2026
The Hallfords’ case prompted laws mandating routine inspections and adopting a funeral director licensing system.
—Colleen Slevin, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
For those who may not want a dog that day but might be interested in adopting, there will be several experts on hand to answer questions.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Despite the council adopting the airport’s formula, workers at Mineta Airport earn significantly less, said an attendee at the meeting.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
The brands pulling ahead are not adopting more tools—they’re using connected data to make fewer, better decisions earlier in the process.
—John Brearley, Footwear News, 23 Apr. 2026
Advocates expressed disappointment as the city sought a resolution instead of adopting a municipal law.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 23 Apr. 2026
This means schools across the country are adopting new approaches to teach reading and using new textbooks.
—Shawn Datchuk, The Conversation, 23 Apr. 2026
Vivian, who came out as transgender in 2020, legally dropped her father's surname 18 years later, adopting Wilson as her last name.
—Emma Banks, InStyle, 11 Apr. 2026
Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2026
The Hallfords’ case prompted laws mandating routine inspections and adopting a funeral director licensing system.
—Colleen Slevin, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
For those who may not want a dog that day but might be interested in adopting, there will be several experts on hand to answer questions.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Despite the council adopting the airport’s formula, workers at Mineta Airport earn significantly less, said an attendee at the meeting.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
The brands pulling ahead are not adopting more tools—they’re using connected data to make fewer, better decisions earlier in the process.
—John Brearley, Footwear News, 23 Apr. 2026
Advocates expressed disappointment as the city sought a resolution instead of adopting a municipal law.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 23 Apr. 2026
This means schools across the country are adopting new approaches to teach reading and using new textbooks.
—Shawn Datchuk, The Conversation, 23 Apr. 2026
Vivian, who came out as transgender in 2020, legally dropped her father's surname 18 years later, adopting Wilson as her last name.
—Emma Banks, InStyle, 11 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adopting
Verb
-
There’s a lack of humility, a lack of dignity, a lack of understanding of the world, a lack of embracing other perspectives.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
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The phrase, coined by 33-year-old content creator and consultant Erica Mallett, refers to embracing those hard feelings.—
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Big tech companies are competing for dominance in artificial intelligence, borrowing to build data centers and other infrastructure.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The utility business model involves borrowing substantial sums to invest in networks and later recovering costs from customers.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adopting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adopting. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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