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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Recent Examples of canonize
From ancient epics to contemporary headlines, humans have spent centuries canonizing courage as a rare and admirable virtue.
—
Cynthia Pury, The Conversation, 29 Apr. 2026
He was canonized by Pope Alexander III in 1161, and his shrine at Westminster Abbey became a major pilgrimage site in medieval England.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026
His high-end ability has materialized in moments far more consequential than the two-month window of regular-season games used to canonize All-Stars.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for canonize
Cynthia Pury, The Conversation, 29 Apr. 2026
He was canonized by Pope Alexander III in 1161, and his shrine at Westminster Abbey became a major pilgrimage site in medieval England.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026
His high-end ability has materialized in moments far more consequential than the two-month window of regular-season games used to canonize All-Stars.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for canonize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canonize
Verb
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Daiquiri lovers will adore this tropical twist of rum, citrus and melon juice, and fresh watermelon.—
Mary Shannon Wells,
Southern Living,
29 May 2026
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This series feels like the ultimate fan-service spinoff, since Yellowstone fans seem to adore the Beth/Rip romance.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2026
Verb
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When Tracy was elevated from Triple-A to the big leagues Breslow didn’t rule out hiring a permanent manager midseason.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
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Now, it is well understood that some scholars partial to the ancients will attempt to elevate the 1927 Yankees, led by the stoical Lou Gehrig and the epicurean Babe Ruth, as the finest of all teams to play in the city.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026
Verb
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In more recent years, far-right conspiracy propagators have alleged that global political and business elites worship Moloch in secret and enact policies to appease the sadistic deity.—
Joseph Konig,
PEOPLE,
30 May 2026
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The idea of a protest buffer zone has been under consideration for months, raising questions about how government can balance free speech protections and the right to worship in legislation that could pass legal muster.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
Verb
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An electric boat promotes responsible experiences, operating emission-free and with reduced noise pollution.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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Three researchers, two of whom have since gone on to bigger and better successes, Vinay Prasad and Tracey Beth Hoeg, explained in detail how committed the CDC was to promoting masks.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
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The reason is that investors don’t seem to like the idea of fractional share ownership, so reducing the share price makes the stock feel more accessible.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
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The service The staff are gentle but also fun, witty and joyful, such as Rini, who can answer almost any question on Bawah; Nintya who handles landscaping and permaculture; and the waiter Julian, who likes to practice his English accent.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Because of that, several community leaders want to enshrine key parts of the agreement in local law.—
Topher Sanders,
ProPublica,
2 June 2026
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ultra-Orthodox coalition partners pushed for the bill’s passage over the Knesset’s failure to enshrine into law an exemption that would allow ultra-Orthodox men to avoid Israel’s mandatory military service.—
Aditi Sangal,
CNN Money,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Canonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canonize. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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