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 civilize
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
These facts, in turn, were wielded as evidence for the need of a civilizing Christian influence.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
If Providence gave Americans the right to civilize a continent, why not the world?
—Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Practically speaking, if your checklist is mostly phones and a CPAP, a mid-size electric battery station is civilized: quiet, indoor-safe and instantly useful.
—Jennifer Jolly, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civilize
Tamara Shopsin, Travel + Leisure, 16 Dec. 2025
These facts, in turn, were wielded as evidence for the need of a civilizing Christian influence.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
If Providence gave Americans the right to civilize a continent, why not the world?
—Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Practically speaking, if your checklist is mostly phones and a CPAP, a mid-size electric battery station is civilized: quiet, indoor-safe and instantly useful.
—Jennifer Jolly, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civilize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civilize
Verb
-
Walsh and Knowles cultivated a big crowd in the rural northern Idaho college town with its backdrop of rolling hills and wheat fields.—
Saige Miller,
NPR,
30 Apr. 2026
-
And with the rise of artificial intelligence and other technologies, innovative talent management strategies and state support systems, forward-thinking Maryland manufacturers have a host of new opportunities to solve the age-old challenge of cultivating the next generation of talent.—
Mike Kelleher,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Land to farm and urbanize Another concern for foreign investors: the obstacles to acquiring land for urban development.—
Sarah Moreno
Updated March 24,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
-
If appropriate action is not taken, economic growth in urbanizing cities will continue to happen at the cost of the less fortunate.—
Chloe Wong,
Hartford Courant,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Civilize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civilize. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
