1
as in to curse
to ask a divine power to send harm or evil upon
heretics anathematized by the church leaders
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to denounce
to declare to be morally wrong or evil
fundamentalist preachers who anathematize any departure from a literal interpretation of the Bible
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Recent Examples of anathematize
In a democracy, the question of what to do about climate change and for that matter the decision to anathematize entire sectors of the economy ought to be matters for voters not moneymen.
—
Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 9 Dec. 2020
Still, some people now reflexively anathematize this brilliant novel because its self-justifying, unreliable narrator is a pedophile.
—Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 1 Jan. 2020
The most serious native challenge to liberalism, made by the slaveholding oligarchy of the Old South, was crushed on the battlefield, and, despite the efforts of an ever-dwindling number of apologists, morally anathematized.
—Park MacDougald, Daily Intelligencer, 27 Feb. 2018
And if anyone shall be led by his cupidity or arrogance to break this truce, by the authority of God and with the sanction of this Council he shall be anathematized.
—James Carroll, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2017
In some ways, the grotesqueries of his persona, rather than anathematizing him to voters, only enhanced his appeal among those wishing for something different.
—Jamelle Bouie, Slate Magazine, 24 Jan. 2017
Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 9 Dec. 2020
Still, some people now reflexively anathematize this brilliant novel because its self-justifying, unreliable narrator is a pedophile.
—Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 1 Jan. 2020
The most serious native challenge to liberalism, made by the slaveholding oligarchy of the Old South, was crushed on the battlefield, and, despite the efforts of an ever-dwindling number of apologists, morally anathematized.
—Park MacDougald, Daily Intelligencer, 27 Feb. 2018
And if anyone shall be led by his cupidity or arrogance to break this truce, by the authority of God and with the sanction of this Council he shall be anathematized.
—James Carroll, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2017
In some ways, the grotesqueries of his persona, rather than anathematizing him to voters, only enhanced his appeal among those wishing for something different.
—Jamelle Bouie, Slate Magazine, 24 Jan. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anathematize
Verb
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The many emotions of Monken Over the course of the news conference, Monken laughed, cried and cursed.—
Zac Jackson,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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The two men yelled and cursed at each other before a staffer pulled the Congressman away.—
JoAnn Angelico-Stetson,
Hartford Courant,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As Mendonça’s international reputation grew, the hard-right President Jair Bolsonaro took office in Brazil, and Mendonça used his platform to denounce the country’s democratic erosion.—
Stephania Taladrid,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
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But Powell publicly denounced the investigation as one designed to pressure him and the Fed to yield to the president’s wishes on interest rates.—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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He was condemned for the April 1998 shooting deaths of his ex-girlfriend, Glenda Dennise Hayslip, 39, and her new boyfriend, Darren Keith Cain, 30, at the woman's suburban Houston apartment.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
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Charles Victor Thompson was condemned for the April 1998 shooting deaths of his ex-girlfriend, Glenda Dennise Hayslip, 39, and her new boyfriend, Darren Keith Cain, 30, at her apartment in the Houston suburb of Tomball.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In a letter to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY), the Clintons criticized the committee for dismissing previous subpoenas issued to seven other witnesses on the matter of Epstein.—
Jenny Goldsberry,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Feb. 2026
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The powerful Murdoch media empire has been the source of criticism from Democrats for years, particularly in New York City, where the New York Post has relentlessly criticized, mocked, and uncovered negative stories about its Democratic mayors and politicians.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In a comparable case in the United States in 2023, a federal judge imposed $5,000 fines on two lawyers and a law firm after ChatGPT was blamed for their submission of fictitious legal research in an aviation injury claim.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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That leaves them out of pocket, at risk of reputational damage and in danger of losing customers who blame them, rather than the cloud services provider, for the problem.—
David Prosser,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anathematize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anathematize. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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