as in exalting
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1
as in adoring
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in elevating
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 canonizing
Cynthia Pury, The Conversation, 29 Apr. 2026
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
Almost all the speakers leaned into deeply religious themes, canonizing Kirk and reflecting on his dedication as a Christian.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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
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
Almost all the speakers leaned into deeply religious themes, canonizing Kirk and reflecting on his dedication as a Christian.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canonizing
Verb
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But instead of walking out into an adoring limelight, only a handful of zoo workers and passersby witnessed the pivotal moment.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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League handlers gave Heidenreich a chance to walk through the crowd and dap up the adoring fans.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Jewish Theological Seminary has named Rabbi Mike Uram as its next chancellor, elevating a Jewish educator best known for his time as executive director of the University of Pennsylvania Hillel to lead Conservative Judaism’s flagship university and rabbinical school.—
Andrew Silow-Carroll,
Sun Sentinel,
4 May 2026
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What was initially thought to be a small number of caves has been proven otherwise through ongoing research, elevating Nottingham’s historical significance (with a reference to Robin Hood attached).—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
3 May 2026
Verb
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The fact is that Gen Z treats theatrical attendance as a social and communal experience rather than a screen-worshiping exercise.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
6 May 2026
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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
Verb
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In Church’s day, that separation depended on promoting a robust idea of American innocence over Europe’s enfeebling corruption.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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There is a broader issue of manufacturers selling dangerous products and promoting them with deceptive advertising to lure youth into using their dangerous, ineffective products.—
Jad Abdel Nour,
Hartford Courant,
4 May 2026
Verb
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That’s part of the charm of idolizing one of the sport’s greatest ball movers.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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Having access to the network of former UConn superstars is still surreal for Vukosa, who grew up idolizing Breanna Stewart and attends the same high school as Hall of Famer Sue Bird and WNBA MVP Tina Charles.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Canonizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canonizing. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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