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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Recent Examples of adopts
Sheep in the Box is is set in the near future in which a couple adopts a state-of-the-art humanoid as their son, while Look Back is adapted from Tatsuki Fujimoto’s eponymous bestselling manga about two girls pursuing their dreams of becoming manga artists.
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Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 1 Jan. 2026
Translating Anthony Burgess’s stylized, dystopian novel for the screen, Kubrick adopts a playful, formal approach that combines colorful, futuristic exuberance with rapid-fire editing, changes in camera speed, and a garish production design that melds space-age and Georgian-era aesthetics.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
This makeover movie stays pretty true to the original and revolves around Lilo (Maia Kealoha), a six-year-old, hula-loving Hawaiian surfer girl who adopts a furry blue alien creature named Stitch, who was created as a biological weapon.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 27 Dec. 2025
With over a decade of success in the AI-meets-education ecosystem, Ng adopts a Chef Gusteau approach to AI education and coding in particular, arguing that anybody and everybody should code given advancements in coding tools.
—Jared Perlo, NBC news, 27 Dec. 2025
Research suggests that once around 13 percent of a population adopts a new technology, adoption starts to accelerate exponentially.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 25 Dec. 2025
The new Seltos grows in nearly every dimension, adds a raft of features and adopts styling consistent with Kia’s popular Telluride and EV9 three-row SUVs.
—Mark Phelan, USA Today, 15 Dec. 2025
The new Seltos grows in nearly every dimension, adds a raft of features and adopts styling consistent with Kia’s popular Telluride and EV9 three-row SUVs.
—Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 11 Dec. 2025
Trump’s remarks came as the Kremlin welcomed his administration’s new national security strategy, a foreign policy realignment that adopts an unprecedentedly confrontational posture toward Europe.
—Kara Fox, CNN Money, 8 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adopts
Verb
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That’s the way of the football world — everybody borrows from each other.—
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Retro design roots The cyberdeck borrows heavily from early mobile computing.—
Verb
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Its program embraces Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion alongside educational excellence.—
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However, this model recalls the small living movement's roots with a compact cabin-like dwelling that runs off-the-grid and embraces rustic styling.—
Cite this Entry
“Adopts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adopts. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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