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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of canonize
One of the most iconic couples of the 1990s, Carolyn and John’s place in Kennedy history was canonized by their untimely death by plane crash in 1999.
—
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2026
Nagahisa ultimately blends the digital with the all-too-real in innovative, haunting, formally exhilarating ways; he should be canonized alongside Jane Schoenbrun and French director duo Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel.
—Blake Simons, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2026
Walpole was canonized as a saint in 1970 by Pope Paul VI.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 16 Jan. 2026
In the days after Kirk’s killing, that concern spilled into public view, as attempts by Netanyahu and prominent supporters of Israel to canonize the Turning Point founder as a Zionist to the end were refuted by Kirk’s close associates, many of whom are major players in the MAGA movement.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for canonize
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2026
Nagahisa ultimately blends the digital with the all-too-real in innovative, haunting, formally exhilarating ways; he should be canonized alongside Jane Schoenbrun and French director duo Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel.
—Blake Simons, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2026
Walpole was canonized as a saint in 1970 by Pope Paul VI.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 16 Jan. 2026
In the days after Kirk’s killing, that concern spilled into public view, as attempts by Netanyahu and prominent supporters of Israel to canonize the Turning Point founder as a Zionist to the end were refuted by Kirk’s close associates, many of whom are major players in the MAGA movement.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for canonize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canonize
Verb
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Alexander said the children adore Chapman.—
Graham Womack
May 3,
Sacbee.com,
3 May 2026
-
Hummingbirds adore the red varieties, while native bees and butterflies are always buzzing about the blooms.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
3 May 2026
Verb
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What coaches do is acquire and elevate the players who have the cultural traits the team needs.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
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Shopping traffic on Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book — two websites owned by Cox — was elevated compared with a fourth‑quarter baseline, according to a company report.—
Carlie Procell,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Verb
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But although resistance is similarly futile, their goals are less about assimilation than worshipping the obsessive Grant's wife, Starla (Elizabeth Banks).—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
1 May 2026
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The task force — which included numerous Cabinet secretaries — didn't accuse the Biden administration of any large pattern of suppressing churches themselves or the right to worship.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Verb
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In Chicago local officials were at Laury Bride Bridal Shop in Bronzeville to promote their initiatives in help small businesses succeed.—
CBS Chicago Team,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
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Cerda says this Latino wealth gap report is important because the immigration crackdown of undocumented Latino people leads to uncertainty about their futures, the inability to be promoted or to apply for other jobs because of their undocumented status, which ultimately harms Texas’ economy.—
Kamal Morgan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Melvin likes to use thrifted trays to hold jewelry.—
Sarah Lyon,
Southern Living,
6 May 2026
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In 1991 — peak Captain Planet and the Planeteers — Turner won the Audubon medal from the National Audubon Society, a conservation group that really likes birds.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Antarctica is governed by the Antarctic Treaty, which in 1959 enshrined the territory as a scientific preserve used only for peaceful purposes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 May 2026
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Kentucky law enshrines this requirement for every legal horse racing wager in the state, whether at a Churchill Downs window or through an app.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Canonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canonize. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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