CANONIZE Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

canonize

verb

ˈka-nə-ˌnīz

Definition of canonize

as in to adore

to love or admire too much a singing star so canonized by his fans that they refuse to believe anything bad about him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to elevate

to assign a high status or value to those movie buffs who have canonized Alfred Hitchcock as filmdom's preeminent director

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of canonize Italian-Americans even launched a campaign to have the explorer canonized. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Sep. 2026 The film doesn’t canonize Heumann, instead showing her as dedicated leader who is also prickly, brash, and set in her ways. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026 Elizabeth Ann Seton was canonized by Pope Paul VI, becoming the first person born in what's now the United States to be named a Roman Catholic saint. — USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026 By Christmas it had been canonized as the pinnacle of ‘sad girl lit’ with Martha taking her place in that post-Fleabag lineage of fractured female characters. — Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for canonize

Recent Examples of Synonyms for canonize

Verb

Moments later, an unbothered Brown flung himself around the stadium, catering directly to his adoring, unwavering fans.

— Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 25 Oct. 2026
On the sweet side, several of our editors adore Coop’s dessert sauces, which far exceed the usual grocery store stuff.

— Wilder Davies, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of adore

Verb

That production is the wrinkle that elevates Seventhirty’s lyrics from modern dating podcast material to pure melodrama.

— Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026
The guides elevate the safari experience by representing different places and people of Namibia, from the coastal cities of Swakopmund and Walvis Bay to the Himba in the far north-west and the Khwe Bushmen of the north-east.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of elevate

Verb

Its magical forest is filled with talking animals, tree-worshipping mystics, scheming functionaries, and the Dowager Governess (Carey Mulligan), an enchantress who commands an army of uniformed coyotes.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
The long history of prejudice As religious studies scholar Michael Altman argues, the charge that Hindus worship false gods and idols took hold in American national culture nearly two centuries ago.

— Arun Brahmbhatt, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of worship

Verb

Chater doesn’t disagree, particularly as promoting the album has prompted more conversations about the subject.

— Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 21 Oct. 2026
Abe Flores, deputy director of Create CA, a nonprofit advocacy group that promotes arts education for California students, said the challenges SCUSD cited were not unique to the district.

— Chaewon Chung Updated October 21, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of promote

Verb

On the other side is Gadi Eisenkot, a centrist former military chief who is temperate and broadly liked but lacks the political instincts to become a clear favorite.

— Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026
The Cougars stuffed all the ways Utah likes to run the ball until Dampier took matters into his own hands and posted a season high in rushing in electrifying style.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of like

Browse Nearby Words

canonical

canonize

canonized

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Canonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canonize. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of canonize

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes