as in to idealize
to represent or think of as better than reality would warrant
he romanticized what life in a small town would be like, only to be later disappointed when reality intruded
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Recent Examples of romanticize
These invasions get romanticized as elite fandom, as the epitome of love for the game.
—
Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 13 June 2026
No one knows better than founder Max Büsser that timepieces are a sort of modern fantasy, a way of romanticizing the mechanical inventions of yesteryear.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 12 June 2026
The first book was published the same year as Serial debuted, kicking off our burgeoning obsession with true crime and our tendency to romanticize the male perpetrators while often homogenizing their overwhelmingly female victims into cautionary tales.
—Scarlett Harris, Time, 11 June 2026
Now, more middle-school and high-school kids are turning their focus to digital careers in lieu of traditional jobs that have been romanticized for generations.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for romanticize
Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 13 June 2026
No one knows better than founder Max Büsser that timepieces are a sort of modern fantasy, a way of romanticizing the mechanical inventions of yesteryear.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 12 June 2026
The first book was published the same year as Serial debuted, kicking off our burgeoning obsession with true crime and our tendency to romanticize the male perpetrators while often homogenizing their overwhelmingly female victims into cautionary tales.
—Scarlett Harris, Time, 11 June 2026
Now, more middle-school and high-school kids are turning their focus to digital careers in lieu of traditional jobs that have been romanticized for generations.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for romanticize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for romanticize
Verb
-
The Paris in his film feels stylized, idealized.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
17 June 2026
-
The company said the approach is intended for real-world superconducting quantum processors rather than idealized laboratory systems, with an emphasis on manufacturability and scalability.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The film neither glamorizes nor indicts Solanas, who Taylor humanizes without softening or sentimentalizing her.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
10 June 2026
-
Where Bonnie and Clyde glamorizes its couple and their crimes, Loden renders Wanda passive and desultory in the lawless turn her life has taken.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Romanticize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/romanticize. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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