as in to smear
to rub an oily or sticky substance over
anoint the wound with antiseptic to prevent infection
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of anoint
Sometimes he was described as a modern-day Cyrus, a Persian king and a pagan in the Hebrew Bible whom God nevertheless anointed and would use for his purposes.
—
Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
His coach, John Tortorella, anointed him the best 200-foot player in hockey after a dominating defensive effort against Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche in the conference final, and for good reason.
—Jesse Granger, New York Times, 10 June 2026
In the wake of the shooting, many New Yorkers anointed him a hero for doling out street justice in the crime-riddled subway system.
—Kevin Lozano, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026
Curry Barker, the writer-director of Obsession, has been similarly anointed.
—Tyler Chou, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for anoint
Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
His coach, John Tortorella, anointed him the best 200-foot player in hockey after a dominating defensive effort against Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche in the conference final, and for good reason.
—Jesse Granger, New York Times, 10 June 2026
In the wake of the shooting, many New Yorkers anointed him a hero for doling out street justice in the crime-riddled subway system.
—Kevin Lozano, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026
Curry Barker, the writer-director of Obsession, has been similarly anointed.
—Tyler Chou, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for anoint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anoint
Verb
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Over in the next aisle, Gifty Anderson, who typically buys bales from Canada and the United Kingdom, held up a dress smeared with body makeup and tossed it aside without a second thought.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
8 June 2026
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This will lead to smearing dust particles around instead of picking them up, which is where a wet cloth comes into play.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
5 June 2026
Verb
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In Park Slope, fans ended the day the way many New Yorkers did, celebrating with strangers over a pint in a city painted blue and orange.—
Hannah Kliger,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
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McCarthy doesn’t paint Alex and Ethan as perfect allies or perfect victims, instead choosing to explore the shortcomings in their friendship through mostly gender-neutral growing pains.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Thoroughly coat the inside of the bucket with baby powder.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
17 June 2026
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Simply coat your protein an hour or two before cooking to yield tender, juicy bites.—
Joey Skladany,
Southern Living,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anoint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anoint. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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