as in to smear
to rub an oily or sticky substance over
anoint the wound with antiseptic to prevent infection
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of anoint
Read more: How U.S. Strikes May Have Inadvertently Helped the Iranian Regime
Ever since George W. Bush anointed Russia, Iran and North Korea as the Axis of Evil, the U.S. had failed to cripple its surge — until now.
—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 22 June 2025
With one more win, they’d be anointed as one of the greatest single-season teams in history.
—David Aldridge, New York Times, 20 June 2025
The seven-foot-one-inch center Chet Holmgren, who was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the second pick of the 2022 N.B.A. draft, was immediately anointed as a star.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 8 June 2025
In a league defined by dynasties, the pundits and talking heads can’t help but anoint them prematurely.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for anoint
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 22 June 2025
With one more win, they’d be anointed as one of the greatest single-season teams in history.
—David Aldridge, New York Times, 20 June 2025
The seven-foot-one-inch center Chet Holmgren, who was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the second pick of the 2022 N.B.A. draft, was immediately anointed as a star.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 8 June 2025
In a league defined by dynasties, the pundits and talking heads can’t help but anoint them prematurely.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for anoint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anoint
Verb
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Baldoni’s countersuit, accusing her of smearing him, was dismissed last week.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
19 June 2025
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The assertion by certain anonymous users online is a typically out-of-context and absurd effort to create fake news for clicks and to smear.—
Chloe Mayer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
Verb
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Recent Gallup research paints a telling picture: while algorithmic tool adoption has surged (a 12-point increase in white-collar roles since 2024), employee preparedness to work with AI has declined from 2024 to 2025.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
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Whether an item is hand painted, or making the mistake of dulling one's knives from too much exposure to a dishwasher, following a few rules will maintain important culinary items.—
Lauren Wicks,
Southern Living,
9 July 2025
Verb
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Except there’s a mystery, wrapped in an enigma, and coated in a puzzle.—
Irina Ivanova,
Fortune,
13 July 2025
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Chicken and waffles are also popular, and one waffle menu item comes coated in Fruity Pebbles breakfast cereal.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Anoint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anoint. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.
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