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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Along the way, the denim jacket has become among the most recognizable American contributions to global style, symbolizing the young nation’s elevation of workwear and casual dress.—
Eric Twardzik,
Robb Report,
23 Mar. 2026
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He is still revered by many people of Italian American heritage, who view statues of him as symbolizing their own overcoming of prejudice in the US.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The coalition called on lawmakers to pause debate on the bill and incorporate stronger transparency provisions, mandatory environmental and socio-cultural impact studies, independent oversight mechanisms and a more robust framework for protecting human rights and the environment.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
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Budge, 78, joined the council in 2003 when Rancho Cordova incorporated, at a time when leaders were focused on reshaping the city’s image and gaining local control.—
Camryn Dadey,
Sacbee.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Iran crisis illustrates all four dynamics at once.—
Derek Chollet,
semafor.com,
25 Mar. 2026
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The existence of the federal subpoena and revelations about a series of FBI interviews illustrate that the investigation could be far along, said McInerney, who is not involved with the probe and spoke with The Star as a legal expert.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Objectify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/objectify. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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