lionizes

verb

present tense third-person singular of lionize
as in admires
to treat (someone) as a very important and famous person She was lionized everywhere after her novel won the Pulitzer Prize.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lionizes Weberman’s early release would place him back into a community that not only protects, but lionizes him. — Guila Benchimol, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lionizes
  1. admires
  2. honors
  3. venerates
  4. reveres
  5. respects
  6. exalts
  7. praises
  8. dignifies
Verb
  • Turturro admires Harry’s old-school pride in his craft, but the character’s devotion to his ailing wife struck a deeper chord.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The man then steps back, admires his work, and then proceeds to walk off the next mark by taking a few giants steps and laying down some more paint.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of admires
Verb
  • The restaurant honors the origins of jerk cuisine, and the flavors of shared survival.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The latter in 2013 landed on The Black List, which honors the year’s best unproduced screenplays.
    — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of honors
Verb
  • Kin Coedel collaborated with Meti and Hijra women in Nepal in the creation of Between Reverence and Refusal, giving them recognition and exposing the paradox of a culture that venerates femininity in myth but doesn’t acknowledge those who embody it in everyday life.
    — Vogue, Vogue, 1 June 2026
  • Redemptive suffering Shared sorrow is a key part of Iran’s Twelver Shiite identity, which venerates the Prophet Muhammad’s family through daughter Fatima and cousin and son-in-law, Ali.
    — Mary Thurlkill, The Conversation, 30 Mar. 2026
Definition of venerates
Verb
  • Among other things, Hinduism reveres femininity through the worship of powerful goddesses, including Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom; Kali, the goddess who destroys evil and ego; and Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026
  • While Western climbers regard Everest as a peak to be conquered, Tenzing reveres it as a sacred mother goddess.
    — Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of reveres
Verb
  • This Toleriane Moisturizing Milky Facial Cleanser does exactly that and respects my skin barrier, thanks to a very minimal ingredient list featuring thermal spring water and glycerin.
    — Sheryl George, Allure, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Charlotte Water respects the marine commission’s opinion and wants to talk with the group about the latest modeling report, spokeswoman Jennifer Frost told The Charlotte Observer.
    — Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of respects
Verb
  • At a time when our right to protest is under siege, this sci-fi yarn exalts the way an individual’s conviction can plant seeds of change, leading to a stronger sense of community.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Boyes, too, exalts the elephants like a man possessed.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2026
Definition of exalts
Verb
  • Special envoy Steve Witkoff praises President Vladimir Putin after Russia frees a retired American teacher.
    — David Hickey, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Levine praises a call from Israel’s president Levine was recovering Sunday from injuries that included what appeared to be stab wounds in her buttocks, which required stitches.
    — Cara Anna, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of praises
Verb
  • The recognizing states will have to step up, too, by making their security guarantees concrete and by helping shape a Palestinian state that does not threaten its neighbors and dignifies its people by providing functioning institutions and proper services.
    — SHIRA EFRON, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2025
Definition of dignifies

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Cite this Entry

“Lionizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lionizes. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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