courted

past tense of court
1
as in wooed
to act so as to make (something) more likely you're courting disaster if you keep playing with matches

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in dated
to go on dates that may eventually lead to marriage they courted for a year before getting married

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 courted The awarding of the prize has also courted controversy. Kate Bartlett, NPR, 9 Oct. 2025 The park has courted controversies over the years, including the aforementioned multiple animal deaths that have spurred numerous protests. Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Oct. 2025 Far from being ostracized, Palestinian leaders are being courted by statesmen even while hostages remain in Gaza—even while Hamas openly vows to repeat October 7 again and again. Aviva Klompas, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025 In fact, many of the posters, my colleagues and I have noticed, seem to be marked with verbatim messages in similar handwriting; had Schiffmann not only courted the vandalism but also instigated it? Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2025 Increasingly, that cohort includes Gen Z (up to age 27) and millennials (ages 28 to 44), a group Squeri has actively courted. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2025 His channel’s direction has courted controversy in recent years. Katherine Laidlaw, HubSpot, 19 Sep. 2025 She was interviewed everywhere, courted everywhere. Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2025 Isak was courted by Chelsea and was then told by Mitchell that the club could not afford to grant him a new contract. George Caulkin, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for courted
Verb
  • The annual spectacle, with thousands of media buyers and advertisers crisscrossing Manhattan to be wooed and pitched by TV networks, has already transformed into something more corporate.
    Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Roberts plays an unhappy American in Venice who is wooed by depressed, divorced, and done-with-love Allen in a variety of vaguely dishonest ways.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The lease memorandum is dated July 18, two days after BusinessDen reported the deal was in the works.
    Matthew Geiger, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Archer is the only child from Angie Stone and D’Angelo, whom dated for four years.
    Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Leaders from Israel and Hamas were not invited initially.
    Greg Myre, NPR, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Alternatively, culinary enthusiasts will be invited to an intimate cooking class at Caruso led by executive chef Armando Aristarco.
    Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Courted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/courted. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

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