as in to smear
to rub an oily or sticky substance over
anoint the wound with antiseptic to prevent infection
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of anoint
On Monday, as he was nominated in parliament as a presidential candidate, Min Aung Hlaing anointed Ye Win Oo, a former intelligence chief seen as fiercely loyal to the general, as his successor to lead the military.
—
Reuters, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026
He was asked to anoint one member of his congregation, a Guatemalan immigrant who worked at a local meatpacking plant and often came to the church before work to pray.
—Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026
In a city that continually anoints anoints new noteworthies in the hospitality space, The Connaught remains one of London’s long-lasting greats.
—Katharine Sohn, Architectural Digest, 20 Mar. 2026
Chavez was positioned as the Christlike figure who toiled for all of us at great personal cost and thus was anointed the face of the farmworkers movement.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for anoint
Reuters, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026
He was asked to anoint one member of his congregation, a Guatemalan immigrant who worked at a local meatpacking plant and often came to the church before work to pray.
—Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026
In a city that continually anoints anoints new noteworthies in the hospitality space, The Connaught remains one of London’s long-lasting greats.
—Katharine Sohn, Architectural Digest, 20 Mar. 2026
Chavez was positioned as the Christlike figure who toiled for all of us at great personal cost and thus was anointed the face of the farmworkers movement.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for anoint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anoint
Verb
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But the pigment and gum are largely invisible, because harding and Upkett smeared them with white paint used by the Carnegie Museum to cover its walls.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
12 May 2026
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The Orbánists first ignored them, then smeared them.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Israel prohibits many construction materials from entering Gaza, so the structure was created by welding sheets of metal together and painting them white.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
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Or is Williamson, facing sentencing, just trying to paint herself in a sympathetic light?—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
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This gel-like substance coats your gut and binds to cholesterol, preventing it from entering your bloodstream.—
Colleen Doherty,
Verywell Health,
14 May 2026
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Certain mascaras, foundations and dental flosses also use PFAS as texture or coating agents.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anoint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anoint. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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