as in romanticizing
to represent or think of as better than reality would warrant
he had a tendency to idealize his heroes and believe they could do no wrong
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Recent Examples of idealizing
By late month, career responsibilities intensify, requiring you to define a realistic path forward instead of idealizing outcomes.
—
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
Neptune can blur boundaries, so be mindful of overcommitting or idealizing people who have not shown consistency yet.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 25 Jan. 2026
Teens are already blocked from repeatedly viewing videos that could send them down dangerous content rabbit holes, such as those idealizing certain body types.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 14 Jan. 2026
There’s no wishful thinking that our society will stop idealizing appearance, but framing and intrinsic motivation matter.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 8 Oct. 2025
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
Neptune can blur boundaries, so be mindful of overcommitting or idealizing people who have not shown consistency yet.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 25 Jan. 2026
Teens are already blocked from repeatedly viewing videos that could send them down dangerous content rabbit holes, such as those idealizing certain body types.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 14 Jan. 2026
There’s no wishful thinking that our society will stop idealizing appearance, but framing and intrinsic motivation matter.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idealizing
Verb
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After the cowboys’ home had yellowed to memory, illustrators such as Frederic Remington set about romanticizing the Westerner, a process vigorously seized upon by the chieftains of Hollywood.—
Miles Beller,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Feb. 2026
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Crucially, the film avoids the trap of scolding younger generations or romanticizing the past.—
Beandrea July,
IndieWire,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Regenda grew up idolizing other Slovakian stars like Marian Hossa, Marian Gaborik, Pavol Demitra, and Zdeno Chara.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
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But in October 2024, Vladimir Kramnik, a former Russian World Chess Champion who Naroditsky grew up idolizing, began publicly insinuating that Naroditsky might be using computer assistance during online games.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The song was seen as glamorizing Nazi ideology, antisemitism and Hitler.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Warfare Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s Warfare is an admirable attempt to counter the truism that there’s no such thing as an anti-war movie — that all war movies, however gruesome or wrenching, effectively (and often unwittingly) wind up glamorizing combat to some degree.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Williams did not explicitly mention tennis, or any sport, in her Super Bowl advert for Ro, but her focus on movement and wellbeing in the context of her softening position on the possibility of a comeback was striking.—
James Hansen,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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On most prestige shows, a friendship between two women from disparate backgrounds would serve as an emotional anchor, softening both characters.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Idealizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idealizing. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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