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
  • As detailed by The Athletic in 2023, Silva admires former Benfica defender Ruben Dias, now of Manchester City.
    — Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 31 July 2026
  • The obvious gem of the collection is the attention-getting title story, about the Canadian Nobel laureate Alice Munro, who died in 2024 — and whose complex, layered short fiction Aviv admires.
    — Julia M. Klein, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of admires
Verb
  • In 2011, Norris was inducted into Northern Illinois University’s Northern Star Hall of Fame, which honors former students, advisers and friends of the university’s student newspaper.
    — Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The Vantage Award, presented to Domingo, honors an artist who is helping to challenge dominant narratives around cinema.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 13 Aug. 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
  • Harbaugh reveres the Giants and their ownership and their brand for their tradition and their landmark status in the NFL, dating back to their founding in 1925.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 25 July 2026
  • The South reveres hydrangeas for their long-lasting blooms.
    — Steve Bender, Southern Living, 23 June 2026
Definition of reveres
Verb
  • The European version of Windows 11 also respects your default web browser across the operating system.
    — Chris Hoffman, PC Magazine, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Brimming with magic and unabashed theater-kid energy, Chu’s film respects the source material while giving it room to breathe in a new medium, shading in key parts of the story without making huge alterations.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Aug. 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
  • Guest judge Willy Chavarria praises how Jeffrey’s outfit moved (my favorite thing about it), but the strength of Naheim’s tromp l’oeil effect snags him the win, immunity for the next challenge, and $20,000 from Viva.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Both, along with the rest of Iraola’s staff, wasted no time trying to implement the Spaniard’s vision, helped by the clear and concise messaging Murillo praises the head coach for.
    — Andy Jones, New York Times, 13 Aug. 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 17 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of lionizes for Spanish Speakers

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