as in heroes
a person who is the object of extreme or uncritical devotion
a movie star whose portrayal of a comic book superhero in a blockbuster series has made him the idol of millions
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Recent Examples of idols
Baoase is also transporting, as any memorable hotel should be, with a strong Asian-esque design that includes ubiquitous Balinese Hindu statues, idols, and sculptures, and a reliance on simplicity over dazzle.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Are Henry James’s heroines, surely among the most extraordinary female characters in literary history, really one-dimensional idols?
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Your siblings will always be your idols, especially older siblings.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
There were idols everywhere and advantages practically falling out of trees.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2026
Brazilians also identified with the man, imperfect of body and of mind, a mortal — so crushingly mortal — among the idols.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 28 May 2026
Unfortunately, we were deprived of all those fake idols getting played because players kept leaving the game with fakes in their pockets, socks, and bags.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
And what once was a simple majority-rules vote each week has been complicated by the addition of individual immunity idols and advantages that can shift the balance of power from the collective toward maverick individuals.
—Julie Beck, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026
The optics of the ceremony soon sparked backlash from the faithful and religious leaders, many of whom drew a parallel to biblical scripture Exodus 32, which warns believers about the dangers of creating false idols and worshiping other gods.
—Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 12 May 2026
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Are Henry James’s heroines, surely among the most extraordinary female characters in literary history, really one-dimensional idols?
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Your siblings will always be your idols, especially older siblings.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
There were idols everywhere and advantages practically falling out of trees.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2026
Brazilians also identified with the man, imperfect of body and of mind, a mortal — so crushingly mortal — among the idols.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 28 May 2026
Unfortunately, we were deprived of all those fake idols getting played because players kept leaving the game with fakes in their pockets, socks, and bags.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
And what once was a simple majority-rules vote each week has been complicated by the addition of individual immunity idols and advantages that can shift the balance of power from the collective toward maverick individuals.
—Julie Beck, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026
The optics of the ceremony soon sparked backlash from the faithful and religious leaders, many of whom drew a parallel to biblical scripture Exodus 32, which warns believers about the dangers of creating false idols and worshiping other gods.
—Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 12 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idols
Noun
-
The unsung heroes behind the state’s 28 ski areas are the patrollers.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
Meteorologists were among the unsung heroes of this history changing moment.—
William Lambers,
Hartford Courant,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
The Marby grave brings together cremation, a stone monument, and this ritualistic deposit of bronze objects, which is synonymous with the end of this era when the treatment and use of bronze objects changed—often left in hoards on land or in water, sometimes as offerings to gods or divinities.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
31 May 2026
-
Among his other collections is one devoted to pre-Hispanic gods.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Idols.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idols. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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