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
In the years after the attack, Trump lionized the Jan. 6 attackers and praised Babbitt as a martyr to his MAGA cause.
—
Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 19 May 2025
The idea that famous women tend to be either lionized or vilified certainly hasn’t grown less accurate over the past century.
—Dorothy Fortenberry, The Atlantic, 12 May 2025
The only exception of course is the intersex pope (who – surprise! – has female reproductive parts) & the cardinal who keeps her secret – bc of course that kind of Catholic secret-keeping must be lionized.
—Katcy Stephan, Variety, 6 Jan. 2025
Lee and his friends rejected the intellectuals and politicians who lionized or apologized for communist tyranny.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 21 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for lionize
Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 19 May 2025
The idea that famous women tend to be either lionized or vilified certainly hasn’t grown less accurate over the past century.
—Dorothy Fortenberry, The Atlantic, 12 May 2025
The only exception of course is the intersex pope (who – surprise! – has female reproductive parts) & the cardinal who keeps her secret – bc of course that kind of Catholic secret-keeping must be lionized.
—Katcy Stephan, Variety, 6 Jan. 2025
Lee and his friends rejected the intellectuals and politicians who lionized or apologized for communist tyranny.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 21 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for lionize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lionize
Verb
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The video, taken by his granddaughter, showcased his unique way of honoring his late wife's passion—turtles.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 July 2025
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With Pro Skater 3+4, the developers aimed to strike a balance between honoring the series’ legacy and evolving it for a new generation of players.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
15 July 2025
Verb
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Another thing Berlanga cannot do is admire his power shots.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
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Even those who didn't know him well admired him for his dedication to the school and the team.—
Craig Shoup,
The Tennessean,
11 July 2025
Verb
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My parents revered her not just as an author, but an origin point: the mother of a genre, the teenage girl who changed literature forever.—
Daphne Woolsoncroft,
People.com,
8 July 2025
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The music itself might not be that remarkable, nor will it be remembered for big hits, but it will likely be revered for taking big emotional swings.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
8 July 2025
Verb
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In the post, Ramaswamy said America has venerated mediocrity.—
Scott Wartman,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
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To read about the polymath was to marvel at how much he was venerated by the best and seemingly brightest.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
Verb
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Beyond just winning races, Aston Martin F1’s marketing strategy is towards continuously exalting the brand’s image to an impassioned community.—
Lilian Raji,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
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The images made the rounds on social media, as Leeds fans exalted Nance’s sense of style.—
Felipe Cardenas,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
Verb
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Thank you for understanding and respecting our wishes during this deeply personal time.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
10 July 2025
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The code also details expectations for AI companies to respect paywalls, as well as robots.txt instructions restricting crawling, which could help confront a growing problem of AI crawlers hammering websites.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
10 July 2025
Verb
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In between all of that, Trump spoke to DAZN’s Emily Austin and praised FIFA president Gianni Infantino for putting the Club World Cup together in the U.S. one year before the World Cup takes place in North America.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
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Nvidia’s Jensen Huang should be praised for traveling to China this week in pursuit of expansion in what is a crucial market for all manner of blue-chip U.S. companies.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Baseball fans, especially those who worship the New York Yankees, may want to contemplate a move to Florida.—
Madeleine Marr
July 3,
Miami Herald,
3 July 2025
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The religious display of the Lady of Guadalupe in lights at the factory, Maria’s prayer table, my own religious statues outside my home, and the plastic Virgin Mary in yards are merely means to the end — worshiping God and thanking him for our existence, salvation and his abundant mercy.—
Judy Knotts,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lionize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lionize. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.
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