as in to redesign
to adapt to modern needs, taste, or usage
the new owners of the old-line French restaurant plan to contemporize the menu and make the place seem less intimidating
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Recent Examples of contemporize
Bestselling classic Banana styles of the past are being reimagined and contemporized.
—
David Moin, Footwear News, 19 May 2026
The delight in contemporizing the antiquated past may feel akin to the Pope in cassocks and a White Sox baseball cap, or a good medieval meme.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 3 Feb. 2026
Anderson has contemporized the timeline, situating us in our dismayingly recognizable era of fascist creep and following a sadly less recognizable underground effort to stop it.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025
Three trans opera singers refine their unique vocal talents and contemporize the history of gender-fluid performances in the art form.
TO YOUR HANDS: DIR Ana Mouyis.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 7 May 2025
The struggling restaurant’s South Asian owner Ananya (Mahira Kakkar) clings to her and her late husband’s original dream for the place while her forward-thinking Thai-American cook, Jacob (Tommy Bo), urges her to contemporize the menu of traditional dishes and the House of India vibe.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 May 2025
At the same time, the mill is celebrating denim’s heritage with a collaboration that contemporizes classic textiles.
—Sj Studio, Sourcing Journal, 14 Apr. 2025
Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, the beloved designer duo synonymous with reviving and contemporizing embroidery techniques, will also mark their presence at the Vogue Wedding Atelier.
—Sonakshi Sharma, Vogue, 7 Apr. 2025
At the 151-room W Budapest, a Neo-Renaissance building from 1886 once home to the Hungarian State Ballet Academy, lavish details like tiles and arches were preserved, yet are contemporized with such elements as sleek bronze cladding.
—Alia Akkam, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Mar. 2024
David Moin, Footwear News, 19 May 2026
The delight in contemporizing the antiquated past may feel akin to the Pope in cassocks and a White Sox baseball cap, or a good medieval meme.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 3 Feb. 2026
Anderson has contemporized the timeline, situating us in our dismayingly recognizable era of fascist creep and following a sadly less recognizable underground effort to stop it.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025
Three trans opera singers refine their unique vocal talents and contemporize the history of gender-fluid performances in the art form.
TO YOUR HANDS: DIR Ana Mouyis.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 7 May 2025
The struggling restaurant’s South Asian owner Ananya (Mahira Kakkar) clings to her and her late husband’s original dream for the place while her forward-thinking Thai-American cook, Jacob (Tommy Bo), urges her to contemporize the menu of traditional dishes and the House of India vibe.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 May 2025
At the same time, the mill is celebrating denim’s heritage with a collaboration that contemporizes classic textiles.
—Sj Studio, Sourcing Journal, 14 Apr. 2025
Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, the beloved designer duo synonymous with reviving and contemporizing embroidery techniques, will also mark their presence at the Vogue Wedding Atelier.
—Sonakshi Sharma, Vogue, 7 Apr. 2025
At the 151-room W Budapest, a Neo-Renaissance building from 1886 once home to the Hungarian State Ballet Academy, lavish details like tiles and arches were preserved, yet are contemporized with such elements as sleek bronze cladding.
—Alia Akkam, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Mar. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemporize
Verb
-
That kind of information can help cities redesign streets around real behavior, not just how people are supposed to move.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
-
Boston Dynamics also redesigned Atlas to eliminate cables running across joints, enabling continuous joint rotation while reducing wear and maintenance requirements.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
The system has been modernized.—
Chris Tye,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
-
Portugal is a good example—after the dictatorship ended in 1974, there was a push to modernize, and many traditional crafts weren’t passed down.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Footwear News,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
This is a developing story and will be updated.—
Tom Ignudo,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
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In the corner of the team’s theater room, Wright hung a chart that was updated regularly by the team’s leader in attitude points, awarded for out-of-the-box accomplishments such as diving on the floor for loose balls or taking charges.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Hospitals, warehouses, and other large facilities could use the system to streamline operations.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Dec. 2025
-
Rice spoke at the presentation of two new studies from the National Petroleum Council on how to streamline federal permitting and increase electricity reliability.—
Jessica Towhey,
Boston Herald,
5 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Whether Netflix or Paramount prevails, the outcome promises to remake Hollywood.—
Daniel Orton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Dec. 2025
-
Next up was remaking the outfield.—
Charlotte Varnes,
New York Times,
3 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contemporize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemporize. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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