patron saint

noun

Definition of patron saintnext
as in model
someone of such unequaled perfection as to deserve imitation around the statehouse he's known as the patron saint of partisan politics

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 patron saint There’s a reason this subgenre fizzled — very few writers could match the wit and imagination of Tarantino, much less its patron saint, Elmore Leonard. — Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026 The sisters of Loretto believed the staircase was built by none other than Saint Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters. — Dan Fellner, AZCentral.com, 23 Aug. 2026 To many, Anthony Bourdain is the patron saint of the culinary underground. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026 Such is the legacy of John Carpenter, the patron saint of slasher flicks, who has embraced the title of horror master in recent years. — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for patron saint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patron saint
  1. model
  2. idea
  3. example
  4. incarnation
  5. ideal
Noun
  • This allows XPeng to run its physical AI foundation model directly on the robot rather than relying on remote computing or teleoperation for complex tasks.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Open models are becoming fascinating; their performance is absolutely reaching frontier levels.
    — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of model
Noun
  • The new experiment tested those competing ideas by deliberately weakening the electron interactions.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
  • But the head of Germany’s central bank, who is also a member of the European Central Bank Governing Council, said Melenchon’s debt cancelation idea would be forbidden under the currency bloc’s rules and could lead to hyperinflation.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of idea
Noun
  • But as this example illustrates, interpreting the benchmark scores can be technically complex, presenting a challenge for companies that want to show off the results to the public in a digestible format.
    — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Trump’s botched repairs to the Reflecting Pool ahead of the nation’s 250th-birthday celebrations, in July, offer a classic example of the problem.
    — Janay Kingsberry, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of example
Noun
  • During that time, Prince George will adhere to the historic institution’s dress code, in which the contemporary incarnation was established by Anthony Chenevix-Trench, who served the school as headmaster from 1964 to 1970.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The Nazi state leisure organization Kraft durch Freude (Strength through Joy) introduced the KdF-Wagen, as the first incarnation of the VW Beetle was called, with great fanfare in 1938.
    — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of incarnation
Noun
  • The book is breathtakingly large in scope and purpose, tracking the ideal from pre-Revolutionary America to the postmodern age.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
  • But success has been elusive—which, McDowell says, is all the more remarkable, given the site’s near-ideal remote, equatorial locale.
    — Elizabeth Howell, Scientific American, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of ideal

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Cite this Entry

“Patron saint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patron%20saint. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on patron saint

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about patron saint

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