as in anointment
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as in smearing
to rub an oily or sticky substance over
anoint the wound with antiseptic to prevent infection
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Recent Examples of anointing
Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Chalamet represents a less comfortable path for the industry — an anointing of the popular kid, an endorsement of a set of campaign standards that doesn’t exactly align with its own.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 4 Mar. 2026
The anointing of Dokoupil in mid-December may have surprised some viewers.
—Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
Clair Obscur was already the favorite to win the grand prize — but kicking off the show with the game front-and-center felt like an anointing.
—James Perkins Mastromarino, NPR, 12 Dec. 2025
David Sims, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
At least one competitor is already anointing Stolz, a seven-time world champ who’s just 21— and only halfway through the Olympic program in Milan—the best ever.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 14 Feb. 2026
Hot 97 has played an outsize role for decades in debuting new hits, anointing superstars, and wading into major cultural debates; Mero’s most recent predecessor in the morning-show role is Ebro Darden, who announced the end of his 20-plus-year tenure at the station in December.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
The wins come on the heels of the Gotham Film Awards anointing One Battle After Another its Best Feature on Monday, and the New York Film Critics Circle doing the same Tuesday.
—Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 3 Dec. 2025
Since Ellison’s takeover of Paramount, the company has raised eyebrows for seeming to appease conservative audiences, particularly with CBS News anointing Weiss, who forged her brand as a columnist arguing against progressive politics.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
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
Noun
By all accounts, virality is violent for its subjects, and building a sustainable career from sudden celebrity is a formidable task; any sensible person would be wise to distrust such an instantaneous anointing.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Chalamet represents a less comfortable path for the industry — an anointing of the popular kid, an endorsement of a set of campaign standards that doesn’t exactly align with its own.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 4 Mar. 2026
The anointing of Dokoupil in mid-December may have surprised some viewers.
—Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
Clair Obscur was already the favorite to win the grand prize — but kicking off the show with the game front-and-center felt like an anointing.
—James Perkins Mastromarino, NPR, 12 Dec. 2025
Verb
Otherwise, the evening was more about anointing talent that was arguably overdue for awards recognition.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
At least one competitor is already anointing Stolz, a seven-time world champ who’s just 21— and only halfway through the Olympic program in Milan—the best ever.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 14 Feb. 2026
Hot 97 has played an outsize role for decades in debuting new hits, anointing superstars, and wading into major cultural debates; Mero’s most recent predecessor in the morning-show role is Ebro Darden, who announced the end of his 20-plus-year tenure at the station in December.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
The wins come on the heels of the Gotham Film Awards anointing One Battle After Another its Best Feature on Monday, and the New York Film Critics Circle doing the same Tuesday.
—Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 3 Dec. 2025
Since Ellison’s takeover of Paramount, the company has raised eyebrows for seeming to appease conservative audiences, particularly with CBS News anointing Weiss, who forged her brand as a columnist arguing against progressive politics.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anointing
Noun
-
The result of this dynamic tension of bootlickers, according to Bernhard’s narrator, is the perpetual elevation and official anointment of mediocrity.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
-
According to the Dera, Singh’s ascent to power is a story of divine anointment.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In 2012, the gossip site Gawker, infamous for smearing conservative activists, published embarrassing footage of Hogan that had been secretly recorded and had no legitimate news value.—
George Harris,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The pigment lasts all day without smearing.—
Catharine Malzahn,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The church has also consistently taken a conservative stance on the issue of homosexuality, specifically rejecting both same-sex unions and the ordination of members of the LGBTQ+ community, placing it at odds with some other members of the Anglican Communion.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The Rabbanut exams test halachic knowledge, but so do semikha (ordination) exams administered outside the rabbinate’s system, including those of Yeshivat Maharat, Yeshiva University and Ohr Torah Stone.—
Rabba Sara Hurwitz,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
An earlier version of the film dealt with allegations brought by 13-year-old Jordan Chandler in the early Nineties, albeit painting Jackson as the victim of a blackmail plot.—
Amelia McDonell-Parry,
Rolling Stone,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Tasks like painting the deck and painting the bottom of the hull are part of routine maintenance.—
Amy Morin,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Hungary's economic crisis won't be solved alone by these funds, Darvas said, but by complying with EU regulations, the new government will signal that the country is a stable place for investments.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Over the years, families have made investments in the downtown.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Its weather-resistant powder coating withstands rain and other inclement weather.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The show’s name referred to their self-identification as helpless babies overwhelmed by the pressures of modernity, comforted only by coating themselves in fancy serums and moisturizers to recreate the peaceful, placental insulation of the womb.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Most close friends and family, speaking with The Post last fall for a story on Thomas’s induction into the Broncos’ Ring of Fame, have accepted that football in some way contributed to his death.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Although the band has been dismissive of the Rock Hall in the past, Smallwood issued a statement upon news of the band’s induction on Monday thanking the institution.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The collapse happened at the CHOP parking garage under construction on the 3000 block of Grays Ferry Avenue on April 8 during the installation of a precast concrete section, according to Parker.—
Tom Ignudo,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
With floor-to-ceiling windows and big open spaces, the new 31,000-square-foot Area 62 hall at Camp San Mateo on the base’s northern end feels more like a college-style dining hall than the chow halls found on most military installations.—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anointing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anointing. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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