as in to sanctify
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Recent Examples of spiritualize
None of this is intended to take away from the ambivalent and sometimes plainly harmful effects of attempts to spiritualize the pandemic.
—
Benjamin Kirby, Quartz Africa, 1 May 2020
Thought and speech — thought’s public projection — are both combined and spiritualized.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 22 June 2019
The biblical Song of Solomon is a key scripture for the Zohar, and its lush gardens of desire are spiritualized into realms of sacred love, but without losing anything of their erotic passion.
—Arthur Green, The Atlantic, 25 Aug. 2017
Benjamin Kirby, Quartz Africa, 1 May 2020
Thought and speech — thought’s public projection — are both combined and spiritualized.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 22 June 2019
The biblical Song of Solomon is a key scripture for the Zohar, and its lush gardens of desire are spiritualized into realms of sacred love, but without losing anything of their erotic passion.
—Arthur Green, The Atlantic, 25 Aug. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiritualize
Verb
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That was until Pope Leo inadvertently sanctified them in 2026.—
Paul Keane,
Hartford Courant,
22 Feb. 2026
-
For King, defending a people did not mean sanctifying a state.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Elizabeth was dressed in the garment as a very young princess in 1926, when she was baptized.—
Laura Scafati,
Vanity Fair,
3 Mar. 2026
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O’Connell and Piqué, a husband-and-wife reporting team, were longtime friends of Pope Francis, who had baptized their two children in Argentina while still a cardinal there and later also married the couple.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Many Pentecostals, for example, fast for a period in January to consecrate the year ahead.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
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Even if all these sunny promises are enshrined in contracts, built into budgets, and consecrated with good intentions, there are still plenty of ways the whole project could go kerflooey.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The coronation merely confirms and sacralizes his inheritance.—
Matt Ford,
The New Republic,
5 May 2023
Verb
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In a nutshell, wastewater recycling works by first physically filtering the water, then subjecting it to reverse osmosis, and finally purifying it with ultraviolet light.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Fears washed away, cleanse and purify.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For many years, the Israeli government has been attempting to cleanse Area C of Palestinians.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
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In a small, domed stone or clay structure, heated volcanic rocks, medicinal herbs, and water create steam, which is believed to cleanse toxins, improve circulation, and provide a spiritual connection to nature.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Within two years, Pope Gregory IX had canonized him and laid the cornerstone for a basilica to house his tomb.—
Nicole Winfield,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
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His high-end ability has materialized in moments far more consequential than the two-month window of regular-season games used to canonize All-Stars.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Yet, these grounds were hallowed to the African American community.—
Chip Colwell,
The Conversation,
22 Oct. 2025
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In a new political environment in which none of the new leaders could claim to be revolutionary founding fathers, Deng’s blessing hallowed Jiang and Hu and helped ensure that each survived the vicissitudes of succession politics.—
Jonathan A. Czin,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spiritualize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiritualize. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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