as in smeared
to rub an oily or sticky substance over
anoint the wound with antiseptic to prevent infection
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of anointed
Now adding to an imposing lineup that includes Baruch Spinoza, Karl Marx, Franz Kafka, Sigmund Freud, and Albert Einstein, as well as artistic luminaries ranging from Leonard Bernstein to Mark Rothko, the publisher has anointed Stephen Sondheim.
—
Chip Brown, Air Mail, 11 Apr. 2026
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 has been anointed for no-doubt stardom since the Army All-American Bowl in 2018, when Waddle first crossed paths with Pat Surtain II.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 22 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
The Jets will be paying the bulk of his salary, a rapid fall of stature for a quarterback anointed the Week 1 starter in New York a year ago.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 17 Mar. 2026
Today, the Midwest town’s Dutch heritage is on full display from a working grain mill (anointed the Vermeer Windmill) to Tulip Time, an annual three-day tulip festival with some 300,000 flowers in early May.
—Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 25 Feb. 2026
Sullivan regularly anointed stars and cultural icons with a single appearance, beaming performers—Elvis Presley, the Supremes, and the Beatles—straight into homes that might never otherwise encounter them.
—Margaret Heidenry, Vanity Fair, 24 Feb. 2026
Announced five days after the 2026 Oscar nods, the BAFTA nominations anointed presumed Best Picture frontrunner One Battle After Another as the European organization's leader, with 14 nods overall.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Feb. 2026
Chip Brown, Air Mail, 11 Apr. 2026
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 has been anointed for no-doubt stardom since the Army All-American Bowl in 2018, when Waddle first crossed paths with Pat Surtain II.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 22 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
The Jets will be paying the bulk of his salary, a rapid fall of stature for a quarterback anointed the Week 1 starter in New York a year ago.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 17 Mar. 2026
Today, the Midwest town’s Dutch heritage is on full display from a working grain mill (anointed the Vermeer Windmill) to Tulip Time, an annual three-day tulip festival with some 300,000 flowers in early May.
—Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 25 Feb. 2026
Sullivan regularly anointed stars and cultural icons with a single appearance, beaming performers—Elvis Presley, the Supremes, and the Beatles—straight into homes that might never otherwise encounter them.
—Margaret Heidenry, Vanity Fair, 24 Feb. 2026
Announced five days after the 2026 Oscar nods, the BAFTA nominations anointed presumed Best Picture frontrunner One Battle After Another as the European organization's leader, with 14 nods overall.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anointed
Verb
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At the start of the short, paved trail, the green slopes appear smeared with vague suggestions of ocher and mauve.—
Alissa Greenberg,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2026
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One of the men smeared our foreheads with sandalwood paste, vermilion, and rice.—
Elizabeth Cantrell,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Asian markets painted a mixed picture at open, with South Korean and Japanese markets up, while Australia stocks dipped.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
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Developed as exhibition pieces, the six works are crafted entirely in wood and finished in black, painted with Japanese ink.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Toss until chicken is coated (your hands work best here).—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
22 Apr. 2026
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That means a whole room coated in rolling fields for less than $600.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anointed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anointed. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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