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
One Battle’s front-runner status came from the top down, its greatness anointed by critics and tastemakers before the general audience could see it.
—
Nate Jones, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
The wins come on the heels of the Gotham Film Awards anointing One Battle After Another its Best Feature on Monday, and the New York Film Critics Circle doing the same Tuesday.
—Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 3 Dec. 2025
The Lionel Messi-Lamine Yamal connection For believers in the soccer gods, Lamine Yamal's ascent to the upper echelons of the sport could almost seem predestined with Lamine anointed by a Barça icon — Lionel Messi.
—Nathalie Sommer, CBS News, 1 Dec. 2025
The episode officially anoints a new captain for the 118 — and sees Harry considering a life fighting fires.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anoint
Nate Jones, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
The wins come on the heels of the Gotham Film Awards anointing One Battle After Another its Best Feature on Monday, and the New York Film Critics Circle doing the same Tuesday.
—Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 3 Dec. 2025
The Lionel Messi-Lamine Yamal connection For believers in the soccer gods, Lamine Yamal's ascent to the upper echelons of the sport could almost seem predestined with Lamine anointed by a Barça icon — Lionel Messi.
—Nathalie Sommer, CBS News, 1 Dec. 2025
The episode officially anoints a new captain for the 118 — and sees Harry considering a life fighting fires.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anoint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anoint
Verb
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Cofounder says he was smeared after quitting.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
21 Jan. 2026
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This will lead to smearing dust particles around instead of picking them up, which is where a wet cloth comes into play.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Noir laid her easel and 4-by-5-foot linen canvas against a boulevard tree and started painting a portrait of Good wearing the strapless red dress from her maternity photoshoot, her blonde hair blowing in the wind.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
24 Jan. 2026
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Davis could paint with tenderness or bring the hammer.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Pour flour in a plastic bag, season with salt and pepper, and drop the breasts in to coat.—
Gretchen McKay,
Twin Cities,
22 Jan. 2026
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The nuggets are made from all-white meat chicken marinated in jalapeño buttermilk and coated with a blend of breadcrumbs and tortilla chips.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anoint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anoint. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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