as in smearing
to rub an oily or sticky substance over
anoint the wound with antiseptic to prevent infection
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as in anointment
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Recent Examples of anointing
Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
Already, awards prognosticators are anointing it a possible Oscar player in several major categories.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Sep. 2025
Fittingly, or desperately depending on your vantage point, Jones’ campaign from three years ago was the only tangible evidence Steichen could lean on while anointing him the starter over Richardson.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
The team reached an extension agreement with rookie Roman Anthony, anointing him as their outfielder of the future with an eight-year deal.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
Prosecutors said that instead of seeking medical treatment when their two-day-old son, Hayden, stopped eating and began to turn pale blue, Blair, 37, and Taylor, 32, relied on praying over their son’s body and anointing him with olive oil.
—Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
Already, awards prognosticators are anointing it a possible Oscar player in several major categories.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Sep. 2025
Fittingly, or desperately depending on your vantage point, Jones’ campaign from three years ago was the only tangible evidence Steichen could lean on while anointing him the starter over Richardson.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
The team reached an extension agreement with rookie Roman Anthony, anointing him as their outfielder of the future with an eight-year deal.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anointing
Verb
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Elsewhere, Mussolini’s goons beat to death a Catholic member of Parliament who refused to bend, the blood from his face and hands smearing the alley wall like stigmata.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
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After smearing Tylenol, the president's unscripted remarks quickly veered into an incoherent rant linking vaccines to autism as well.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Bad Bunny’s fame was growing ever more mainstream in the years before his Super Bowl anointment.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Guard members have also been tasked with beautification efforts, like collecting trash, spreading mulch and painting fences.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
10 Oct. 2025
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Thousands of lakes and ponds are excellent for kayaking and canoeing, with the colored leaves reflected on the water’s surface painting a dreamy picture.—
Allison Tibaldi,
USA Today,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Before her ordination, Mullally worked as a nurse at hospitals in London, going on to serve as Chief Nursing Officer for England.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
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Prime Video product execs, in co-ordination with the production team, therefore sought to strike a balance between injecting some new, actionable information and creating clutter.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The set comes with three extra-virgin olive oils—one for sizzling, one for frying, and one for finishing—plus a sizzle spray for even coating.—
Jamie Fischer,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Oct. 2025
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Exposing them to broiler temperatures can cause warping, coating breakdown, and even safety hazards if the surface starts to flake.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The Bank of Japan has commenced with tapering, incrementally selling off its huge investments in ETFs that primed the stock market under Abe, and is signaling incremental interest rate increases.—
Jeff Kingston,
Time,
4 Oct. 2025
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The new spending reflects efforts by Chief Executive Officer Antonio Filosa, who was appointed to the top job in May, to recalibrate investments across regions, the people said.—
Gabrielle Coppola,
Fortune,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The tour news was first shared with select media and fans at a top-secret private event Sunday night at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland that included a viewing of Rush’s induction speeches and performance and ended with a loose, animated interview with Lee and Lifeson.—
Annie Zaleski,
Variety,
6 Oct. 2025
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Accessible via a lift-up hatch, this cooking area has more more counter space and a larger induction cooktop.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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According to Evers' order, the American flag and the Wisconsin state flag will fly at half-staff at all buildings, grounds and military installations belonging to the state of Wisconsin.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
4 Oct. 2025
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The MasterFrame 600’s factory configuration uses the power supply mounting flange to close off the bottom of the expansion slot panel, so its installation kit includes an adapter plate to close off the same area whenever a builder decides to instead mount its power supply above the motherboard.—
Thomas Soderstrom,
PC Magazine,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Anointing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anointing. Accessed 11 Oct. 2025.
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