as in heroes
a person who is the object of extreme or uncritical devotion
a movie star whose portrayal of a comic book superhero in a blockbuster series has made him the idol of millions
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of idols
But there is a theatrical beauty to Curwen’s work that remains appealing despite his protestations, drawing parallels with his idols Lee Alexander McQueen and John Galliano.
—
Ari Stark, Footwear News, 11 Feb. 2026
The singer grew up watching his idols win awards on television, and eventually, those idols began handing him the awards.
—Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Although his idols toured the awards circuit with a more traditional, orchestral score, Kangding doubled down on his dance music origins for Sirāt.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 10 Feb. 2026
Schools of fish drifted one above the other in a shifting, shimmering mesh, as neon-bright parrotfish, damselfish, and Moorish idols darted by.
—Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
And as Jae-Ha Kim, a culture critic who specializes in Korean entertainment, puts it, the women of Katseye share far more of their personal lives with the public than most young K-pop idols — who don’t even date publicly — do.
—Ashley Fetters Maloy, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2026
Vrabel was asked about his idols growing up.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
Because the sort of celebrity documentary that Melania has been made in the image of aren’t made for general audiences — they’re made for fans who treat the experience of viewing them as another act of devotion to their idols.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
There's also a hunt for special idols across the country.
—Steve Maugeri, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026
Ari Stark, Footwear News, 11 Feb. 2026
The singer grew up watching his idols win awards on television, and eventually, those idols began handing him the awards.
—Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Although his idols toured the awards circuit with a more traditional, orchestral score, Kangding doubled down on his dance music origins for Sirāt.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 10 Feb. 2026
Schools of fish drifted one above the other in a shifting, shimmering mesh, as neon-bright parrotfish, damselfish, and Moorish idols darted by.
—Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
And as Jae-Ha Kim, a culture critic who specializes in Korean entertainment, puts it, the women of Katseye share far more of their personal lives with the public than most young K-pop idols — who don’t even date publicly — do.
—Ashley Fetters Maloy, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2026
Vrabel was asked about his idols growing up.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
Because the sort of celebrity documentary that Melania has been made in the image of aren’t made for general audiences — they’re made for fans who treat the experience of viewing them as another act of devotion to their idols.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
There's also a hunt for special idols across the country.
—Steve Maugeri, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idols
Noun
-
Hume became one of modern atheism’s great intellectual heroes by rejecting this idea.—
Christopher Beha,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Without giving anything away, the scale of the sequence in which the heroes finally confront the AI force that threatens to destroy them is massive, and lighting and planning shots for the enormous set — which had the largest LED installation ever built in South Africa — required 600 storyboards.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Las Vegas is no longer the seat of the sportsbook gods.—
Dan Piepenbring,
New Yorker,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Well, the football gods have a sense of humor.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Idols.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idols. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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