as in to idealize
to represent or think of as better than reality would warrant
he romanticized what life in a small town would be like, only to be later disappointed when reality intruded
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Recent Examples of romanticize
Crucially, the film avoids the trap of scolding younger generations or romanticizing the past.
—
Beandrea July, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
The shadow is chasing dopamine instead of fulfillment or romanticizing something that does not have real substance.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 25 Jan. 2026
The trend has become the latest example of people online romanticizing a different time as a form of escapism.
—Angela Yang, NBC news, 19 Jan. 2026
The complaint claims that ChatGPT romanticized death and reassured Gordon during moments of emotional distress.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for romanticize
Beandrea July, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
The shadow is chasing dopamine instead of fulfillment or romanticizing something that does not have real substance.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 25 Jan. 2026
The trend has become the latest example of people online romanticizing a different time as a form of escapism.
—Angela Yang, NBC news, 19 Jan. 2026
The complaint claims that ChatGPT romanticized death and reassured Gordon during moments of emotional distress.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for romanticize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for romanticize
Verb
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By late month, career responsibilities intensify, requiring you to define a realistic path forward instead of idealizing outcomes.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
3 Feb. 2026
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Yet many Venezuelans idealize this period.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The song was seen as glamorizing Nazi ideology, antisemitism and Hitler.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Jan. 2026
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Often, fires are depicted in an overly dramatic or glamorized way, but each home represents a person’s life.—
TIME Photo Department,
Time,
23 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Romanticize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/romanticize. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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