popularize
verb
pop·u·lar·ize
ˈpä-pyə-lə-ˌrīz 
popularized; popularizing
: to cater to popular taste
: to make popular: such as
a
: to cause to be liked or esteemed
a sitcom that popularized the phrase
b
: to present in generally understandable or interesting form
a popularized version of American history
Examples of popularize in a Sentence
a phrase that was popularized by its use in a hit TV show
Dream analysis was popularized by Sigmund Freud.
The book presents a popularized version of American history.
Recent Examples on the Web
In 1952, Marilyn Monroe first wore jeans onscreen, helping popularize them for American women.
—
Faran Krentcil,
InStyle,
1 July 2026
The former is a structured trapezoidal purse that was renamed the Kelly bag in 1977, after American actress Grace Kelly, who popularized the item.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 June 2026
Old school computer gamers will be intimately familiar with the dungeon crawler genre, popularized by games like Wizardry and Eye of the Beholder, which involves moving in first-person on a grid, taking on monsters, finding treasure and delving deeper into a labyrinth.
—
Jason Bennett,
Arkansas Online,
28 June 2026
With her ends flipped and her top layers curled and hairsprayed in place, the aesthetic harked back to the poodle bob trend popularized in the 1940s.
—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
28 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for popularize
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Faran Krentcil,
InStyle,
1 July 2026
The former is a structured trapezoidal purse that was renamed the Kelly bag in 1977, after American actress Grace Kelly, who popularized the item.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 June 2026
Old school computer gamers will be intimately familiar with the dungeon crawler genre, popularized by games like Wizardry and Eye of the Beholder, which involves moving in first-person on a grid, taking on monsters, finding treasure and delving deeper into a labyrinth.
—
Jason Bennett,
Arkansas Online,
28 June 2026
With her ends flipped and her top layers curled and hairsprayed in place, the aesthetic harked back to the poodle bob trend popularized in the 1940s.
—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
28 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for popularize
Cite this Entry
“Popularize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/popularize. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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