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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Lagerfeld’s arrival at Chanel reinvigorated the brand, honoring the legacy Coco Chanel had already built, while pushing it forward in sync — and often ahead — of the times during his 36-year tenure.—
Tonya Blazio-Licorish,
Footwear News,
26 May 2026
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The city of San Jose and Santa Clara County presented commendations honoring the restaurant’s longevity, and singer Jerry Sauceda serenaded the crowd for hours.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
26 May 2026
Verb
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In 2014, the Ig Nobel Prize in psychology went to a trio of researchers who found that people who habitually stay up late are, on average, more self-admiring, more manipulative and more psychopathic than people who habitually arise early in the morning.—
Scott Lafee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 May 2026
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From island hopping along the always-sunny Maldives and admiring pink sands in the Bahamas, to coconut mangrove-trekking in the Philippines and biking past pineapple fields in French Polynesia, tropical charm manifests in an array of ways.—
Skyli Alvarez,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Streisand closed her speech by praising the global film community and the power of cinema to bring people together.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
25 May 2026
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Nevertheless, the White House sent a letter in early May after lawmakers gaveled out, praising Masterson and Hawkins for their leadership.—
Matthew Kelly
May 24,
Kansas City Star,
24 May 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
-
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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Making jewelry out of vintage memorabilia is even more challenging, as Villa is adamant about respecting the integrity of the original pieces.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
27 May 2026
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The other members struggle with their desire to keep their children safe through herd immunity while respecting the rights of the individual parents.—
Mary Damiano,
Miami Herald,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Community advocates said tragic events like what happened in California should not stop the community from worshipping freely.—
Mike Hellgren,
CBS News,
25 May 2026
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Despite all the violent bureaucracy devoted to worshipping the god Om, only one simple monk, Brutha, actually believes in him.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
24 May 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 31 May. 2026.
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