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

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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 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 English added that the name was also inspired by Maria Adelaide, a Portuguese woman who is considered an honorary saint despite never being officially canonized. — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for canonize

Recent Examples of Synonyms for canonize

Verb

An outgoing kid from the suburbs of Buffalo, New York, who adored his little sister, Burch never regained consciousness.

— Brittany Shammas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
No other branch takes such delight in going its own way, regularly giving a cold shoulder to titles the rest of the industry adores.

— Nate Jones, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of adore

Verb

Where a sneaker or flat might’ve kept the outfit in the casual realm, the trendy pump silhouette elevated the ensemble a notch.

— Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
The agency will also hike the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax, elevating the taxable income limit from $184,500 to $192,300.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of elevate

Verb

In Jennifer’s Body, Needy (Seyfried) is BFFs with the titular mean girl played by Fox, whose body becomes possessed by a succubus with a taste for teen boys after a botched sacrifice by a devil-worshipping boy band (led by Adam Brody).

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
While many Hindus worship Rama, Sita and Hanuman as deities, Hindu nationalists have also presented Rama as a historical figure – the legendary ruler of the ancient kingdom of Ayodhya.

— Sohini Sarah Pillai, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of worship

Verb

Both those historic actions happened as part of the Biden administration's focus on anti-money laundering and efforts to promote compliance with the then-emerging virtual currency industry.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
One of Mitte’s last posts on Instagram this week promoted those showings.

— Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of promote

Verb

Terry Kay liked to tell the story of how he was coerced into writing his first novel by Pat Conroy, who told his literary agent Kay had written a brilliant manuscript.

— Suzanne Van Atten, AJC.com, 18 Oct. 2026
And yet, when CNN Sports asked to speak with people who bet on sports but don’t like prediction markets partnering with sports leagues, teams or athletes themselves, Allison was among the dozens of fans who reached out.

— Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of like

Verb

Some 86 years ago, Missouri voters enshrined a system for selecting top judges that would remove political influence from the courts.

— Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 15 Oct. 2026
These changes would be enshrined in the law, as opposed to regulations that could more easily be reversed in the future, says NATHPO Executive Director Ira Matt, a citizen of the Salish Tribe.

— Rachel Treisman, NPR, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of enshrine

Browse Nearby Words

canonical

canonize

canonized

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“Canonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canonize. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of canonize

verb

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