Thesaurus results for CIVILIZE

civilize

verb

as in to cultivate

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Recent Examples of civilize This kind of boosterism—no less evident in Bernard Lewis’s highbrow argument in The New Yorker that Muslims fear modernity than in Niall Ferguson’s entreaties for the Bush Administration to resume the British Empire’s task of civilizing the natives—always seemed bafflingly sterile to me. —

Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026 Classic imperialism sought to bind disparate places together under a vast administrative structure, animated by a civilizing mission. —

Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2026 Biking in Copenhagen is civilized—collective pressure ensures hand signals and other forms of etiquette are strictly adhered to. —

Tamara Shopsin, Travel + Leisure, 16 Dec. 2025 If Providence gave Americans the right to civilize a continent, why not the world? —

Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for civilize

Recent Examples of Synonyms for civilize

Verb

Business owners still need to make difficult decisions, cultivate relationships with employees and customers, and create accountability inside their organizations.

— Scott Byrne, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
In his regular visits to Nuuk, Horn has spent much of his time cultivating relationships with business leaders and politicians like Pele Broberg, leader of the pro-independence Naleraq party, who has made no secret of their meetings.

— Joshua Hunt, Vanity Fair, 17 June 2026