as in to honor
to treat (someone) as a very important and famous person
She was lionized everywhere after her novel won the Pulitzer Prize.
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Recent Examples of lionize
Star hosts like Sean Hannity and Jesse Watters can be expected to lionize Mr. Trump and the Fox alumni joining him in Washington.
—
Michael M. Grynbaum, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2025
During the era of hip-hop and Hollywood’s new black intellectual properties (Eddie Murphy, Prince, Spike Lee, et al.), Wilson was lionized as American theater’s foremost black playwright.
—Armond White, National Review, 27 Dec. 2024
Rather than simplistically lionizing the frikis, the directors honor their plight by portraying them as an example of how the human spirit perseveres even when nearly crushed.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 20 Dec. 2024
Many shared their frustration with UnitedHealthcare's practices, and Thompson's death was met with cheers or indifference by some who lionized the gunman as a folk hero.
—Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for lionize
Michael M. Grynbaum, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2025
During the era of hip-hop and Hollywood’s new black intellectual properties (Eddie Murphy, Prince, Spike Lee, et al.), Wilson was lionized as American theater’s foremost black playwright.
—Armond White, National Review, 27 Dec. 2024
Rather than simplistically lionizing the frikis, the directors honor their plight by portraying them as an example of how the human spirit perseveres even when nearly crushed.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 20 Dec. 2024
Many shared their frustration with UnitedHealthcare's practices, and Thompson's death was met with cheers or indifference by some who lionized the gunman as a folk hero.
—Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for lionize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lionize
Verb
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Now the storied pharmacist and retailer won’t honor that milestone, because it no longer will be publicly owned.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2025
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And having young people celebrate 100 days of school by honoring our elders can be a great thing.—
Kelly Papa,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Visitors can explore the maze of islands by kayak or longtail boats, ducking into hidden caves and secret lagoons and hopping in the shallow water to admire its colorful coral reefs.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
2 Mar. 2025
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The Russian intelligentsia had once admired Ukraine, seeing in it the birthplace of the Muscovite dynasty and Orthodoxy.—
James Verini,
The New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
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During the initial phase of the COVID-19 lockdown, teachers were revered and thanked for their service.—
Gravity Goldberg,
The Conversation,
10 Mar. 2025
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Bob Dylan's First Demo Tape - Original Master Recording Hits the Auction Block Watch on Not long after Dylan arrived in New York in January 1961, Thal met the young musician through her husband, Dave Van Ronk, a folk singer Dylan revered.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Also, a subculture referred to as Saints Culture, which venerates mass killers as almost superhuman figures, frames high-casualty attacks as the ultimate and only legacy worth emulating.—
Odette Yousef,
NPR,
8 Mar. 2025
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Aquinas adds – and to me this is one of the most beautiful aspects of his reflections on relics – that venerating a relic is also a way of looking forward to the future resurrection of the body.—
Therese Cory,
The Conversation,
28 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Venus is said to exalt in Pisces, per traditional astrology.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
31 Jan. 2025
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Most of the sky will be collecting in the parts of your chart connected to important relationships and other people’s resources, and with Venus exalted in Pisces, love might reach you in the form of a care package or a helping hand.—
Steph Koyfman,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Dec. 2024
Verb
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This has only improved Musk’s standing with Trump, who both respects great wealth and appears flattered by the notion that the richest man in the world wants to spend his time shadowing him around Washington and Mar-a-Lago.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2025
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University World News highlights the need for universities to ensure that their cross-border programs maintain high educational standards, all while respecting and adapting to the local cultural and academic context.—
Maja Zelihic,
Forbes,
12 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The comedian, who co-starred in Next Friday and Friday After Next, went on to praise Cube for putting people on.—
Mya Abraham,
VIBE.com,
4 Mar. 2025
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The gist: five previous winners of each category — Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress — are brought on stage to present and praise the nominees and announce the winner.—
Alex Abad-Santos,
Vox,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Dolls worshipped tough New York pop queens like the Ronettes and the Shangri-Las, cosplaying as bad girls and teetering on their high heels.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
1 Mar. 2025
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The small congregation has worshipped online since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and has been trying to get help to fix the roof so members could return to the building.—
Deborah Barfield Berry,
USA TODAY,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lionize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lionize. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.
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