as in honoring
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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Recent Examples of lionizing
That brings us back to the folly of lionizing Kent as a conscientious objector to Trump and the president’s hawkish foreign policy as of late.
—
David M. Drucker, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026
Los Angeles educators were also directed to immediately shift from lionizing Chávez to honoring instead the farmworkers’ movement.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
Gelles avoids lionizing Patagonia’s leader, describing Chouinard’s mercurial leadership style that often bewildered his staff at Patagonia.
—Maya Silver, Outside, 20 Oct. 2025
David M. Drucker, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026
Los Angeles educators were also directed to immediately shift from lionizing Chávez to honoring instead the farmworkers’ movement.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
Gelles avoids lionizing Patagonia’s leader, describing Chouinard’s mercurial leadership style that often bewildered his staff at Patagonia.
—Maya Silver, Outside, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lionizing
Verb
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This week is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, honoring the call takers who handle roughly 550 calls a day.—
Morgan Rynor,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
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Which means that America’s oldest cemeteries might once again inspire a fresh approach to urban nature, honoring the dead by inviting everyone to enjoy an immense variety of topography—a far better option than just steamrolling the earth into submission.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Once an Orbán fan Magyar grew up admiring Orbán as Hungary transitioned out of the Soviet Union in the 1990s.—
Emmet Lyons,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
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The clients first contacted Gibson nearly a decade ago after admiring her work on Meg Ryan’s SoHo loft in the pages of AD—and have since tapped her for five other homes.—
David Foxley,
Architectural Digest,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Thousands of people commented on Porizkova's video, praising her for her looks and confidence.—
Janelle Ash,
FOXNews.com,
11 Apr. 2026
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Over in the customer review section, shoppers are praising the pants’ breathability and flattering fit.—
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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His whole combo — coddling yet revering — makes clear how this hopeless estate chugged along for so long.—
Theater Critic,
San Francisco Chronicle,
5 Feb. 2026
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Chu sits at the center of Hollywood, and grew up in Silicon Valley revering engineers.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
14 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Jellicle Ball joins that lineage, inviting its audience to experience the joys of the Black and Latino ball scene while venerating its bittersweet roots.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Apr. 2026
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Exquisite dribblers such as Olise need protecting and venerating.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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France has been critical, insisting that the war was launched without respecting international law and that Paris was never consulted about it.—
Lorne Cook,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
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The president has always cared more about winning than he’s cared about respecting the rules of competition.—
Colin Pascal,
Baltimore Sun,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Cage fans already knew the actor could play twisted roles well, but his demented performance as the Satan-worshipping killer still disturbed and delighted audiences.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2026
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One raunchy session from 1975 with a lover named Mike Karton begins with Peter worshipping Karton’s jockstrap in his Second Avenue loft.—
Andrew Durbin,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The story goes that Balanchine was so struck by the multi-colored glow of the jewelry displays at the Van Cleef & Arpels New York showroom that this led him to create a dance exalting their beauty.—
Guillermo Perez,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
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As Alvarado explores repeatedly, Valdez rejected that pathway, instead honing his indigenous roots, and dedicating his life to exalting those who, like him, exist in the in-between.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lionizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lionizing. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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