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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of canonize
Ryan believes that canonizing Kirk as the patron saint of MAGA may have backfired in a subtle but important way.
—
Ryan Broderick, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025
Real Housewives of New Jersey star Jennifer Aydin has revealed that one of seven new saints canonized by Pope Leo XIV at a recent ceremony was her great-great uncle.
—Jenni Fink, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
In certain circles, the book was canonized.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
All saints get their own day of celebration and remembrance, and this year marks the first one for Acutis, who was canonized by Pope Leo XIV earlier this year — the first such ceremony to be performed by the new pope.
—Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for canonize
Ryan Broderick, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025
Real Housewives of New Jersey star Jennifer Aydin has revealed that one of seven new saints canonized by Pope Leo XIV at a recent ceremony was her great-great uncle.
—Jenni Fink, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
In certain circles, the book was canonized.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
All saints get their own day of celebration and remembrance, and this year marks the first one for Acutis, who was canonized by Pope Leo XIV earlier this year — the first such ceremony to be performed by the new pope.
—Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for canonize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canonize
Verb
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Still, their esoteric acid rock was revered and adored by their huge and loyal fanbase, known as Deadheads.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Jan. 2026
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Leave it to a Housewife to find an adoring gay to glom on to.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Recently, researchers have made a major leap forward by engineering a novel cathode material that dramatically elevates performance, bringing us closer to practical, high-efficiency thermal energy systems.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Jan. 2026
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These ones elevate the trend — pun intended — with comfortable platform soles and double side stripe appliqués.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Families who live, work, worship and raise their children here belong here.—
Gloria Casas,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
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Adventurous cinephiles came to worship his enveloping dramas, and directors like Jim Jarmusch and Gus Van Sant were heavily influenced by his contemplative style and underappreciated deadpan comedic style.—
Tim Grierson,
Rolling Stone,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Still, the district put full faith in its current coaches, promoting from within.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Jan. 2026
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The series is part of the theater's efforts to promote accessible, affordable arts programs for the Aurora community.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The prospectors liked to compare the warm, unctuous caress of the silt on their legs and thighs to the kisses of ten thousand lips, rather than imagine that the river had nothing to offer them—except mud.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
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Bagail 8-piece Packing Cube Set While dress codes during the day skew casual on board a ship, passengers do like to dress up at night, which means the pressure is on to pull together a classy outfit that’s not on repeat.—
Kristine Hansen,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Americans are free to protest thanks to the rights enshrined in the First Amendment, but those rights have limits.—
Cate Charron,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
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After a House investigation, the Legislature canceled its longstanding contract enshrined in state law with the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, which Carr oversaw, and which acted as a passthrough for federal grants to 42 shelters across Florida.—
Alexandra Glorioso,
Miami Herald,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Canonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canonize. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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