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Recent Examples of civilize
Their presence was thought to help civilize the environs and increase the likelihood of entire families becoming fans and spending money on the sport.
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Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 17 Mar. 2025
Historically, imperialist leaders have used military conquest, economic coercion or diplomatic pressure to expand their dominions, and justified their foreign incursions as civilizing missions, economic opportunities or national security imperatives.
—Monica Duffy Toft, The Conversation, 20 Feb. 2025
As a human being at this moment, Eunice teaches us about being civilized.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025
To American expansionists, the conquest of the Philippines was a continuation of the United States’ westward drive and a fulfillment of its civilizing and democratizing mission.
—Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civilize
Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 17 Mar. 2025
Historically, imperialist leaders have used military conquest, economic coercion or diplomatic pressure to expand their dominions, and justified their foreign incursions as civilizing missions, economic opportunities or national security imperatives.
—Monica Duffy Toft, The Conversation, 20 Feb. 2025
As a human being at this moment, Eunice teaches us about being civilized.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025
To American expansionists, the conquest of the Philippines was a continuation of the United States’ westward drive and a fulfillment of its civilizing and democratizing mission.
—Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civilize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civilize
Verb
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In each case, growing landlessness and the pressure to cultivate cash crops reduced local resilience in the face of prolonged droughts and other disasters, such as outbreaks of bubonic plague and cattle disease.—
Michael Albertus,
Foreign Affairs,
24 June 2025
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Spanish-Speaking Cannabis Creators Santa Tuca (Alan) – A prominent Argentine cannabis creator and community leader, Santa Tuca has cultivated an audience of 80,000+ on Instagram with creative grow-op tours, event coverage, and lifestyle content.—
Javier Hasse,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
Verb
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During the party’s push to urbanize China in the 2000s, many farmers had to surrender even these meager rights in exchange for an apartment and a welfare check.—
Ian Johnson,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2025
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And so most countries around the world will need to urbanize to move their populations out of energy poverty, a great transformation that is already taking place at an unprecedented rate.—
Ted Nordhaus,
Foreign Affairs,
30 Aug. 2016
Cite this Entry
“Civilize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civilize. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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