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 The film doesn’t canonize Heumann, instead showing her as dedicated leader who is also prickly, brash, and set in her ways. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026 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 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
  • In Jennifer’s Body, Needy (Seyfried) is BFFs with the titular mean girl played by Fox, whose body becomes possessed by a succubus with a taste for teen boys after a botched sacrifice by a devil-worshipping boy band (led by Adam Brody).
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
  • While many Hindus worship Rama, Sita and Hanuman as deities, Hindu nationalists have also presented Rama as a historical figure – the legendary ruler of the ancient kingdom of Ayodhya.
    — Sohini Sarah Pillai, The Conversation, 14 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
  • Some 86 years ago, Missouri voters enshrined a system for selecting top judges that would remove political influence from the courts.
    — Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 15 Oct. 2026
  • These changes would be enshrined in the law, as opposed to regulations that could more easily be reversed in the future, says NATHPO Executive Director Ira Matt, a citizen of the Salish Tribe.
    — Rachel Treisman, NPR, 15 Oct. 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 18 Oct. 2026.

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