as in to romanticize
to represent or think of as better than reality would warrant
he had a tendency to idealize his heroes and believe they could do no wrong
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Recent Examples of idealize
Despite millennials’ push for greater diversity on the runway and more inclusive sizing in denim collections, there’s a growing shift back toward campaigns that idealize ultra-thin bodies and pale skin.
—
Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 8 Sep. 2025
Beginning around the mid-19th century, middle-class Americans began to idealize the velvety green grass of European manor houses, according to the Smithsonian Institution.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
The film doesn’t idealize the president as a man of unhesitating certainties.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
These values were generally shared by his employers at Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets, organisations idealized as the polar opposite of Emperor Palpatine's authoritarian dictatorship from a galaxy far, far away.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for idealize
Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 8 Sep. 2025
Beginning around the mid-19th century, middle-class Americans began to idealize the velvety green grass of European manor houses, according to the Smithsonian Institution.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
The film doesn’t idealize the president as a man of unhesitating certainties.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
These values were generally shared by his employers at Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets, organisations idealized as the polar opposite of Emperor Palpatine's authoritarian dictatorship from a galaxy far, far away.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for idealize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idealize
Verb
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The idea of what a tough guy is is a little bit romanticized in the archetype of Clint Eastwood – just being really stoic and not saying a lot.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
29 Oct. 2025
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Often romanticized and glorified as a triumphant moment in Western histories, Columbus’s travels wreaked havoc in the Caribbean, which became one of the key areas for European expansion and subsequently violent accumulation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The action then jumps seventeen years into the future, where Morgan and Chris’s daughter, Clara (Mckenna Grace), is now a teen-ager who resents her mom’s protectiveness and idolizes her freewheeling aunt.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
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Other pastors are cautioning against politicizing his death and warning against idolizing him over the gospel.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Creative activations, particularly ones that shock or disquiet, can make the problem of textile waste visible in a city where overconsumption is often glamorized.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Oct. 2025
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Safdie makes no effort to glamorize the Kerr’s work, or to insist that there is actually an elegance to what MMA fighters do.—
Richard Lawson,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Constipation can occur with iron supplements by affecting gut bacteria and pulling stool-softening water from your colon.—
Emmanuella Ogbonna,
Health,
31 Oct. 2025
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Following her victory on the show, Curry became critical of the program and Banks, though her opinion on the reality TV experience has softened over the years.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Idealize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idealize. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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