as in to redesign
to adapt to modern needs, taste, or usage
the new owners of the old-line French restaurant plan to contemporize the menu and make the place seem less intimidating
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Recent Examples of contemporize
Movado is mining its archives to revisit and contemporize iconic Art Deco styles for the 21st century consumer.
—
Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 14 Nov. 2025
Anderson has contemporized the timeline, situating us in our dismayingly recognizable era of fascist creep and following a sadly less recognizable underground effort to stop it.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025
Three trans opera singers refine their unique vocal talents and contemporize the history of gender-fluid performances in the art form.
TO YOUR HANDS: DIR Ana Mouyis.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 7 May 2025
The struggling restaurant’s South Asian owner Ananya (Mahira Kakkar) clings to her and her late husband’s original dream for the place while her forward-thinking Thai-American cook, Jacob (Tommy Bo), urges her to contemporize the menu of traditional dishes and the House of India vibe.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 May 2025
At the same time, the mill is celebrating denim’s heritage with a collaboration that contemporizes classic textiles.
—Sj Studio, Sourcing Journal, 14 Apr. 2025
Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, the beloved designer duo synonymous with reviving and contemporizing embroidery techniques, will also mark their presence at the Vogue Wedding Atelier.
—Sonakshi Sharma, Vogue, 7 Apr. 2025
Lydia Cornett & Brit Fryer; 2024; USA; 18 min
Three trans opera singers refine their unique vocal talents and contemporize the history of gender-fluid
performances in the art form.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 5 Feb. 2025
Each is contemporizing ready-to-wear for the next generation of fashion followers.
—Tonya Blazio-Licorish, WWD, 4 Feb. 2025
Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 14 Nov. 2025
Anderson has contemporized the timeline, situating us in our dismayingly recognizable era of fascist creep and following a sadly less recognizable underground effort to stop it.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025
Three trans opera singers refine their unique vocal talents and contemporize the history of gender-fluid performances in the art form.
TO YOUR HANDS: DIR Ana Mouyis.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 7 May 2025
The struggling restaurant’s South Asian owner Ananya (Mahira Kakkar) clings to her and her late husband’s original dream for the place while her forward-thinking Thai-American cook, Jacob (Tommy Bo), urges her to contemporize the menu of traditional dishes and the House of India vibe.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 May 2025
At the same time, the mill is celebrating denim’s heritage with a collaboration that contemporizes classic textiles.
—Sj Studio, Sourcing Journal, 14 Apr. 2025
Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, the beloved designer duo synonymous with reviving and contemporizing embroidery techniques, will also mark their presence at the Vogue Wedding Atelier.
—Sonakshi Sharma, Vogue, 7 Apr. 2025
Lydia Cornett & Brit Fryer; 2024; USA; 18 min
Three trans opera singers refine their unique vocal talents and contemporize the history of gender-fluid
performances in the art form.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 5 Feb. 2025
Each is contemporizing ready-to-wear for the next generation of fashion followers.
—Tonya Blazio-Licorish, WWD, 4 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemporize
Verb
-
Instead of accepting that friction, 小宁子 XNZ chose to redesign the experience from scratch.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Made up of several former maids’ rooms with strange proportions, this 323-square-foot Paris apartment that Atelier Opale recently redesigned started off confused and charmless.—
Annabelle Dufraigne,
Architectural Digest,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
That began to change under Kim Jong Un, whose government has pushed cultural institutions to modernize presentation without altering ideology.—
Will Ripley,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Many states are working to modernize their grids in advance.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Then as during the latest shutoffs, people complained that Xcel didn’t keep the public updated, leaving them in the dark as to how long the electricity would be off.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The Dania Beach project aims to update drainage systems in a flood-prone neighborhood.—
Marybel Rodriguez,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In an internal email to staff obtained by The Times, academy CEO Bill Kramer, who took the reins of the organization in 2022, framed the changes as part of a broader strategic initiative over the past two years aimed at streamlining operations to align with the academy’s evolving mission.—
Malia Mendez,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Politics aside, Newsom’s proposal would streamline governance that is now opaque and fragmented, and shields the system’s many points of authority from accountability.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Such rhetoric leads to a society where everyone fights for the ability to try to remake the nation in their own image.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Derek Stevens—owner of Circa, The Golden Gate and The D—took a big gamble on remaking Downtown Las Vegas.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contemporize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemporize. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.
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