as in dating
the series of social engagements shared by a couple looking to get married
after two years of courting, they finally married
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in wooing
to act so as to make (something) more likely
you're courting disaster if you keep playing with matches
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in making love
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.
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Recent Examples of courting
Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Instead, through the course of this play, the artificiality of 19th-century marital courting and the exaggerated heroism of war are gradually stripped away, allowing the characters’ true voices, true callings and true partners to eventually emerge.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Oct. 2025
Of course, the only reason Oracle is in this position is down to Ellison’s courting of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, which has allowed his company, previously a distinct back-of-the-pack cloud company, to secure a massive stockpile of top-of-the-line Nvidia GPUs.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025
More importantly, he’s seen as Kemp’s preferred pick in the race after the governor declined an opportunity to run himself despite much courting from his party.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 17 Aug. 2025
The effort and time that goes into courting, the intentionality of charming someone, are part of the fun for me and doing so in person is the icing on the cake.
—Aj Mason, Them., 8 Aug. 2025
Lex Goldstein, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
The couple aren't strangers to causing a frenzy — and courting controversy — on social media.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
College sports has collectively agreed to define private equity by the narrowest of definitions, all while courting the very types of deals that are the hallmark of the industry.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Arduino wasn’t known to be courting a buyer, and no hint or rumor of the deal leaked beforehand—a rarity for any tech acquisition brokered in 2025.
—IEEE Spectrum, 18 Oct. 2025
Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg is aggressively courting AI talent.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2025
Vegas wasted no time in courting Hart.
—Greg Liodice, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Whiskey Sisters Supply has weathered the same COVID-boom and post-pandemic bust cycles as the spirits industry on the whole and began courting new sources of revenue to sustain its operations.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 14 Oct. 2025
Conscious of this, Mamdani spent many Sundays this summer in church, courting Black congregations around the city.
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
By 1995, the BFC had streamlined the machinery of London Fashion Week and secured government funding for exhibitions, support for young designers, and the courting of overseas buyers.
—Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Instead, through the course of this play, the artificiality of 19th-century marital courting and the exaggerated heroism of war are gradually stripped away, allowing the characters’ true voices, true callings and true partners to eventually emerge.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Oct. 2025
Of course, the only reason Oracle is in this position is down to Ellison’s courting of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, which has allowed his company, previously a distinct back-of-the-pack cloud company, to secure a massive stockpile of top-of-the-line Nvidia GPUs.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025
More importantly, he’s seen as Kemp’s preferred pick in the race after the governor declined an opportunity to run himself despite much courting from his party.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 17 Aug. 2025
The effort and time that goes into courting, the intentionality of charming someone, are part of the fun for me and doing so in person is the icing on the cake.
—Aj Mason, Them., 8 Aug. 2025
Verb
Agassi then began courting Graf right off the court.
—Lex Goldstein, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
The couple aren't strangers to causing a frenzy — and courting controversy — on social media.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
College sports has collectively agreed to define private equity by the narrowest of definitions, all while courting the very types of deals that are the hallmark of the industry.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Arduino wasn’t known to be courting a buyer, and no hint or rumor of the deal leaked beforehand—a rarity for any tech acquisition brokered in 2025.
—IEEE Spectrum, 18 Oct. 2025
Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg is aggressively courting AI talent.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2025
Vegas wasted no time in courting Hart.
—Greg Liodice, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Whiskey Sisters Supply has weathered the same COVID-boom and post-pandemic bust cycles as the spirits industry on the whole and began courting new sources of revenue to sustain its operations.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 14 Oct. 2025
Conscious of this, Mamdani spent many Sundays this summer in church, courting Black congregations around the city.
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for courting
Noun
-
At the beginning of Level 2 in Los Angeles, Hoffman lays out her culprits for the mess that is modern dating.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Peppe admits more precise dating of dinosaur fossils found elsewhere, especially in Europe and Asia, is needed to reach any firm conclusion.—
DINO GRANDONI THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This pho has gone viral online, rightfully wooing diners while honoring its Vietnamese roots.—
Bao Ong,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Sep. 2025
-
While the likes of McDonald’s and Subway have hardly vanished from terminals, concessions companies are increasingly wooing popular local eateries and celebrity chefs to bring their signature menu items to the traveling public.—
Lori Weisberg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The couple married three years ago after a whirlwind four-month courtship.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Oct. 2025
-
As Bella and Edward become closer, our young heroine not only romanticizes the vampire's ethereal good looks, but also the dominance and constant surveillance of his courtship.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Courting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/courting. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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