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
Other artists always inspire me — not just idols, but illustrators and even fashion accounts.
—
Billboard Korea, Billboard, 29 Oct. 2025
Those who dream of getting paid to not work have a new set of idols to look up to.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 29 Oct. 2025
The mental-health struggles of idols have been well-documented since K-pop’s explosion, leading some artists to speak out or to avoid a public life at all.
—Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2025
In a recent interview posted to the TGL Jupiter Links Golf Club team's YouTube channel, Woods revealed the names of three of those idols.
—Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Pride parades have grown in visibility, and prominent celebrities—including K-pop idols—have come out and boosted LGBT representation.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Those moves included everything from emptying competitors' canteens to searching for idols without receiving a clue first.
—Emy Lacroix, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
Outside the realm of pop idols and superheroes, some young commentators are still performing the classic critical duty of digging into the obscure and underrated.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2025
Mbeumo met one of his idols, Samuel Eto’o, before switching allegiance in 2022 and representing Cameroon at the World Cup in Qatar.
—Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Billboard Korea, Billboard, 29 Oct. 2025
Those who dream of getting paid to not work have a new set of idols to look up to.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 29 Oct. 2025
The mental-health struggles of idols have been well-documented since K-pop’s explosion, leading some artists to speak out or to avoid a public life at all.
—Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2025
In a recent interview posted to the TGL Jupiter Links Golf Club team's YouTube channel, Woods revealed the names of three of those idols.
—Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Pride parades have grown in visibility, and prominent celebrities—including K-pop idols—have come out and boosted LGBT representation.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Those moves included everything from emptying competitors' canteens to searching for idols without receiving a clue first.
—Emy Lacroix, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
Outside the realm of pop idols and superheroes, some young commentators are still performing the classic critical duty of digging into the obscure and underrated.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2025
Mbeumo met one of his idols, Samuel Eto’o, before switching allegiance in 2022 and representing Cameroon at the World Cup in Qatar.
—Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idols
Noun
-
This championship evening required multiple heroes.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
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Even literary heroes had been growing more submissive, Whyte claimed.—
David Merritt Johns,
The Atlantic,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Religious identity, too, was communicated via long prayers addressed to personal gods or via images depicting gods and worshippers.—
Serdar Yalçin,
The Conversation,
3 Nov. 2025
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Dancers in ornate pharaonic costumes -- crowned with golden headpieces and holding scepters -- performed to a live international orchestra, as fireworks and drones depicting ancient gods lit up the sky above.—
Ayat Al-Tawy,
ABC News,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Idols.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idols. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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