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
The figures aren’t necessarily idealized forms though.
—
Emilie Hardman, JSTOR Daily, 6 May 2026
Unlike some of his artistic peers, who idealized studios and showcases in New York or Europe, Chambers never wanted to leave Altadena.
—Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
The '90s aesthetic was eclipsed by the celebration of a different kind of celebrity − women like Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian and JLo were idealized for their curves.
—Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
The Mint Julep evokes a sense of 200 years of Southern history that is almost impossibly idealized, and nobody seems to mind.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for idealize
Emilie Hardman, JSTOR Daily, 6 May 2026
Unlike some of his artistic peers, who idealized studios and showcases in New York or Europe, Chambers never wanted to leave Altadena.
—Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
The '90s aesthetic was eclipsed by the celebration of a different kind of celebrity − women like Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian and JLo were idealized for their curves.
—Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
The Mint Julep evokes a sense of 200 years of Southern history that is almost impossibly idealized, and nobody seems to mind.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for idealize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idealize
Verb
-
No one knows better than founder Max Büsser that timepieces are a sort of modern fantasy, a way of romanticizing the mechanical inventions of yesteryear.—
Paige Reddinger,
Robb Report,
12 June 2026
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The first book was published the same year as Serial debuted, kicking off our burgeoning obsession with true crime and our tendency to romanticize the male perpetrators while often homogenizing their overwhelmingly female victims into cautionary tales.—
Scarlett Harris,
Time,
11 June 2026
Verb
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As a filmmaker, your movies have helped shape people’s world views; obviously, many other directors idolize you.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
7 June 2026
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Lampposts and trash cans in the vicinity of the courthouse and neighboring streets have been covered with stickers idolizing him as a saintlike Robin Hood figure.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
3 June 2026
Verb
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The film neither glamorizes nor indicts Solanas, who Taylor humanizes without softening or sentimentalizing her.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
10 June 2026
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Where Bonnie and Clyde glamorizes its couple and their crimes, Loden renders Wanda passive and desultory in the lawless turn her life has taken.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
In addition to eliminating subsidies, the White House softened Biden- and Obama-era regulations designed to push traditional automakers into offering more EVs by toughening tailpipe emission standards.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
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To soften the impact of the trash fee reduction, city officials plan to send $22 million from the recycling fund to the general fund in both fiscal 2028 and fiscal 2029.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Idealize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idealize. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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