as in to symbolize
disapproving
to treat (someone) as an object rather than as a person
She says beauty pageants objectify women.
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Recent Examples of objectify
Trevor as a father, for me, is a kind of parallel thread to Trevor’s relationship with Sam, in that this is a woman that he’s objectified.
—
Katie Campione, Deadline, 13 Nov. 2025
We were objectified by most of our producers.
—Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
Despite Martel’s intentions, the video was widely viewed as sexist and misogynistic, with many seeing the women as being objectified by the three male artists.
—Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 19 Sep. 2025
Typically, young boys aren’t objectified in the same way.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 13 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for objectify
Katie Campione, Deadline, 13 Nov. 2025
We were objectified by most of our producers.
—Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
Despite Martel’s intentions, the video was widely viewed as sexist and misogynistic, with many seeing the women as being objectified by the three male artists.
—Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 19 Sep. 2025
Typically, young boys aren’t objectified in the same way.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 13 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for objectify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for objectify
Verb
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Maundy Thursday, or Holy Thursday, commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with his disciples, marking the institution of Holy Communion and the washing of feet, symbolizing humility and service, according to the Presbyterian Church.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
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Beyond restoring the physical landscape, the Iron Age mound might have symbolized a reestablishment of the sacred and social order.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Add one fourth of meringue and mix until incorporated.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 Apr. 2026
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Eco effort Six Senses has long held the mantle for being ahead of the sustainability trend, and in Rome, the property was built to incorporate their ethos.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The war in Iran and bottleneck in the Strait of Hormuz is further illustrating the need to integrate newer tools into modern warfare.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2026
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In the interview, Warsh illustrated this with a story from 2006, when he was nominated to the Fed’s Board of Governors and sought advice from former chair Paul Volcker.—
Paul Wachtel,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Objectify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/objectify. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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