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
Expect to see surgeonfish, blue tang, moorish idols, plus whale shark and manta rays in the May-September rainy season.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
No wonder Trump, who wants to erect idols to himself like a Canaanite king, is so upset.
—Gustavo Arellano, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026
Yet when the lights come up and the idols of her youth begin to sing, something is unlocked.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
No wonder Trump, who wants to erect idols to himself like a Canaanite king, is so upset.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
Pressley became a performance chef after shedding 200lbs himself and entering a cooking competition show for amateurs, judged by one of his idols, Gordon Ramsay.
—Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
The show features a performance by young women dressed as the HUNTR/X idols, courtesy of Royal Entertainers, a San Diego business that provides costumed characters for parties.
—Marcia Luttrell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
For the first time ever on Survivor, a contestant found two idols, then got to keep neither.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 2 Apr. 2026
The team harbored a zany obsession over nicknaming one another for heavy-metal stars and other teen music idols.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
No wonder Trump, who wants to erect idols to himself like a Canaanite king, is so upset.
—Gustavo Arellano, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026
Yet when the lights come up and the idols of her youth begin to sing, something is unlocked.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
No wonder Trump, who wants to erect idols to himself like a Canaanite king, is so upset.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
Pressley became a performance chef after shedding 200lbs himself and entering a cooking competition show for amateurs, judged by one of his idols, Gordon Ramsay.
—Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
The show features a performance by young women dressed as the HUNTR/X idols, courtesy of Royal Entertainers, a San Diego business that provides costumed characters for parties.
—Marcia Luttrell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
For the first time ever on Survivor, a contestant found two idols, then got to keep neither.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 2 Apr. 2026
The team harbored a zany obsession over nicknaming one another for heavy-metal stars and other teen music idols.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idols
Noun
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Countless cultures have imprinted their own cultural beliefs in the constellations, seeing mighty heroes, fantastic beasts and eclectic objects in the stars.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
9 May 2026
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Superheroes aren't superhuman Gorsuch wants young people to know that heroes aren't superhuman.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Noun
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They have been associated with gods as well as virtues such as faith.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
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The image doesn’t mean the basketball gods have already penciled Dybantsa into Brooklyn’s future.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Idols.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idols. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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