as in honoring
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 lionizing
That brings us back to the folly of lionizing Kent as a conscientious objector to Trump and the president’s hawkish foreign policy as of late.
—
David M. Drucker, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026
Los Angeles educators were also directed to immediately shift from lionizing Chávez to honoring instead the farmworkers’ movement.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
Gelles avoids lionizing Patagonia’s leader, describing Chouinard’s mercurial leadership style that often bewildered his staff at Patagonia.
—Maya Silver, Outside, 20 Oct. 2025
David M. Drucker, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026
Los Angeles educators were also directed to immediately shift from lionizing Chávez to honoring instead the farmworkers’ movement.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
Gelles avoids lionizing Patagonia’s leader, describing Chouinard’s mercurial leadership style that often bewildered his staff at Patagonia.
—Maya Silver, Outside, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lionizing
Verb
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Browne’s family is planning an event honoring him in mid-May.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
31 Mar. 2026
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The Hitchcock classic Strangers on a Train will serve as the festival’s closing night selection, honoring the film’s 75th anniversary.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Look at this man trying to find points of connection while also admiring her work and lifting it above his.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
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The terrace opens onto uninterrupted countryside vistas, ideal for admiring over a sunset apéritif.—
Madeline Weinfield,
Architectural Digest,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Instead, some progressive allies rushed to denounce Israel’s military response while either praising or refusing to condemn Hamas.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Hearts have melted online after a scared rescue dog bravely faced her fear in order to join her owner, with many viewers praising her unquestionable courage and determination.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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His whole combo — coddling yet revering — makes clear how this hopeless estate chugged along for so long.—
Theater Critic,
San Francisco Chronicle,
5 Feb. 2026
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Chu sits at the center of Hollywood, and grew up in Silicon Valley revering engineers.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
14 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Exquisite dribblers such as Olise need protecting and venerating.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
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And, online, there has been a never-ending stream of posts venerating Kirk as a martyr who died defending white Christian values.—
Ryan Broderick,
Rolling Stone,
24 Nov. 2025
Verb
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And so there was a ripple effect from me not addressing that grief and trauma; from not respecting it, and running from it, and hiding it, and masking it with alcohol.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
3 Apr. 2026
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In the memo to Snelling, White wrote that someone — evidently a school administrator whose name was withheld — had spoken to Pujoe about respecting boundaries with female students four or five times and specifically about his history of driving students in his personal car, White wrote.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The new action-horror-comedy follows Satan-worshipping tenants living in a luxury New York City building who perform ritualistic killings their mostly poor and marginalized staff.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Mar. 2026
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Set inside a suspiciously anachronistic Dallas-area shopping mall, this recent SXSW premiere follows a quartet of young women working and worshipping at Free Eden.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The story goes that Balanchine was so struck by the multi-colored glow of the jewelry displays at the Van Cleef & Arpels New York showroom that this led him to create a dance exalting their beauty.—
Guillermo Perez,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
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As Alvarado explores repeatedly, Valdez rejected that pathway, instead honing his indigenous roots, and dedicating his life to exalting those who, like him, exist in the in-between.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lionizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lionizing. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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