canonize

verb

ˈka-nə-ˌnīz How to pronounce canonize (audio)
Definition of canonizenext
1
as in to adore
to love or admire too much a singing star so canonized by his fans that they refuse to believe anything bad about him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to elevate
to assign a high status or value to those movie buffs who have canonized Alfred Hitchcock as filmdom's preeminent director

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of canonize Elizabeth Ann Seton was canonized by Pope Paul VI, becoming the first person born in what's now the United States to be named a Roman Catholic saint. — USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026 By Christmas it had been canonized as the pinnacle of ‘sad girl lit’ with Martha taking her place in that post-Fleabag lineage of fractured female characters. — Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026 English added that the name was also inspired by Maria Adelaide, a Portuguese woman who is considered an honorary saint despite never being officially canonized. — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026 The poem is nearly 3,000 years old, emerging centuries before the New Testament was canonized. — John Blake, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for canonize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canonize
  1. adore
  2. elevate
  3. worship
  4. promote
  5. like
  6. enshrine
Verb
  • Back on property, the outdoor pool sits peacefully at the edge of the vineyard next to two large oaks (one of which has a storybook-like swing hanging from it, which the youngest guests adored).
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
  • These cheery yellow flowers produce a thin, needlelike seed that is rich with oil and dense with nutrients that towhees, nuthatches, cardinals and even robins adore into January.
    — Karen Hugg, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of adore
Verb
  • Where a sneaker or flat might’ve kept the outfit in the casual realm, the trendy pump silhouette elevated the ensemble a notch.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The agency will also hike the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax, elevating the taxable income limit from $184,500 to $192,300.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of elevate
Verb
  • The government characterized Lemon as part of the demonstration, arguing his actions at a church crossed the line from a reporting to a protesting role, violating the First Amendment right to worship and freedom of religion.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 8 Oct. 2026
  • During the days leading up to Vijayadashami, the goddess Durga is worshipped in her various forms as Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati.
    — Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of worship
Verb
  • Both those historic actions happened as part of the Biden administration's focus on anti-money laundering and efforts to promote compliance with the then-emerging virtual currency industry.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
  • One of Mitte’s last posts on Instagram this week promoted those showings.
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of promote
Verb
  • The leader of the breakfast and lunch chain, which brings in over $1 billion in annual revenue, likes to break bread with staffers rather than hide away in a corner office.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Overcast Milan was looking even grayer than I’d have liked, but I was heartened by a gracious welcome at the Park Hyatt, tucked away on a side street of the Piazza del Duomo.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of like
Verb
  • But this would not work unless their citizenship was enshrined.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Ditka was enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of enshrine

Browse Nearby Words

canonical
canonize
canonized
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Canonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canonize. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 16
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All