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

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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 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 This is the Tricky sound canonized. — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 25 June 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
  • Victorians adored houseplants and incorporated them into their interiors with gleeful maximalist excess.
    — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The evening was a fitting toast to the shoe maestro, who celebrated his past, present and future alongside an adoring Milan Fashion Week crowd and influential actresses and models, including Naomi Watts.
    — Katie Abel, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of adore
Verb
  • Seeking new crypto money, Christie’s and Sotheby’s cut all other legitimizing actors out of the loop with NFTs, elevating what might previously have been categorized as illustration, graphic art, or a social media meme to the status of fine art.
    — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Leave it to Skip Rutherford to elevate the level of public discourse.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of elevate
Verb
  • The first Christians worshipped primarily in each other’s homes.
    — John Blake, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • These young men feared that worshipping in Hebrew, which many congregants did not understand, was driving away the next generation of Jews.
    — Ashley Walters, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of worship
Verb
  • Inspired by his legacy, cofounders George and Amal Clooney created the Albies to ensure that the people doing the hardest work to promote justice — often far from the spotlight — are seen, heard and protected.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Around two dozen states have enacted some version of the Kratom Consumer Protection Act, which has been heavily promoted at the state and federal level by the AKA.
    — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of promote
Verb
  • The need to be liked makes brands write polished statements aimed at everyone watching while the person actually affected waits.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Leo appeals to loftier questions about life Unlike Francis, who liked to travel to small Catholic communities far from Rome, Leo has been keen to emphasize and reawaken Europe’s Christian roots.
    — Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of like
Verb
  • And through the spring and summer, that appeared to be the case, as coaches and players alike raved about their new coordinator, who earlier this year was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Legal experts said some lawsuits will likely focus on how the rule contradicts existing laws and policies, like the grants that were enshrined in the 2002 law and repeatedly approved by Congress.
    — Lisa Song, ProPublica, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of enshrine

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canonical
canonize
canonized
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Cite this Entry

“Canonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canonize. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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