as in smeared
to rub an oily or sticky substance over
anoint the wound with antiseptic to prevent infection
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of anointed
The press had already anointed him the heir apparent to Diego Maradona; an emotional Maradona was filmed in the stands, with his arms in the air, as Messi entered the game.
—
Jordan Salama,
New Yorker,
27 June 2026
As Sonnenfeld shows in his 1988 book The Hero’s Farewell, heroes never select themselves but are anointed by society as pillars of that society’s values.
—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
24 June 2026
This year’s primary should be wide open, with DeSantis departing, but the party has anointed one candidate, Koger said.
—
Jeffrey Schweers,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 June 2026
The pair's relationship suffered after NBC anointed Leno instead of Letterman, as chronicled in the 1996 TV film The Late Shift.
—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 June 2026
Sometimes he was described as a modern-day Cyrus, a Persian king and a pagan in the Hebrew Bible whom God nevertheless anointed and would use for his purposes.
—
Peter Wehner,
The Atlantic,
10 June 2026
His coach, John Tortorella, anointed him the best 200-foot player in hockey after a dominating defensive effort against Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche in the conference final, and for good reason.
—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
In the wake of the shooting, many New Yorkers anointed him a hero for doling out street justice in the crime-riddled subway system.
—
Kevin Lozano,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
Curry Barker, the writer-director of Obsession, has been similarly anointed.
—
Tyler Chou,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Jordan Salama,
New Yorker,
27 June 2026
As Sonnenfeld shows in his 1988 book The Hero’s Farewell, heroes never select themselves but are anointed by society as pillars of that society’s values.
—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
24 June 2026
This year’s primary should be wide open, with DeSantis departing, but the party has anointed one candidate, Koger said.
—
Jeffrey Schweers,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 June 2026
The pair's relationship suffered after NBC anointed Leno instead of Letterman, as chronicled in the 1996 TV film The Late Shift.
—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 June 2026
Sometimes he was described as a modern-day Cyrus, a Persian king and a pagan in the Hebrew Bible whom God nevertheless anointed and would use for his purposes.
—
Peter Wehner,
The Atlantic,
10 June 2026
His coach, John Tortorella, anointed him the best 200-foot player in hockey after a dominating defensive effort against Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche in the conference final, and for good reason.
—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
In the wake of the shooting, many New Yorkers anointed him a hero for doling out street justice in the crime-riddled subway system.
—
Kevin Lozano,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
Curry Barker, the writer-director of Obsession, has been similarly anointed.
—
Tyler Chou,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anointed
Verb
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The restaurant sources its birotes from Duran’s to make the open-face, bean and cheese-smeared breakfast sandwiches popular throughout Mexico.
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By the end of the debate, about 150 men dressed in Indigenous costumes, their faces smeared with soot, stormed to a nearby wharf and dumped a literal boatload of tea into the water.
Verb
-
Its muscular composite and Kevlar exterior is finished in a glossy, factory-correct shade of Rosso Corsa, though the car did spend a few years, toward the beginning of its life, painted silver, according to the listing.
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However, those images from the Superdome painted a picture of how recovery and adaptive capacity are so strongly tied to economic capacity, history, and education.
Verb
-
Add chicken, pineapple, pecans, celery, and scallions; fold until evenly coated.
-
Dust coated coastal communities.
Cite this Entry
“Anointed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anointed. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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