patronize

verb

ˈpā-trə-ˌnīz How to pronounce patronize (audio)
Definition of patronizenext
1
as in to condescend
to assume or treat with an air of superiority a director with an unpleasant habit of patronizing even his most gifted actors

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to endorse
to promote the interests or cause of a company that loyally patronizes the arts

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 patronize Steinem set out to expose the working conditions and interior lives of the bunnies slinging booze to the playboys who patronized the club. — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026 As early as the 1920s, Coco Chanel patronized Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes company, famously designing the costumes for Le Train Bleu, choreographed by Bronislava Nijinska and premiered in 1924. — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 12 Aug. 2026 Beaverbrook is a five-star country house hotel that was once patronized by the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and other 20th-century celebrities. — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 6 Aug. 2026 Former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama also have patronized the tavern. — Madeline Montgomery, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for patronize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patronize
  1. condescend
  2. endorse
  3. cut
  4. advocate
  5. support
Verb
  • As the government prosecutor, Norwegian actor Christian Rubeck gives a smug and condescending tone to nearly every word out of his mouth, becoming the closest thing the movie has to a villain.
    — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The hours were long, the work was back-breaking and management was condescending.
    — Christina Wyman, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of condescend
Verb
  • Eight years ago, protesters frequently drove coverage in their preferred direction by disrupting candidates (Movimiento Cosecha pushed Biden to endorse a deportation moratorium, for instance) and showing up to press them at Q&As.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • There’s currently a petition circulating among them urging national leaders to respect their vote to endorse Raman.
    — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of endorse
Verb
  • Sullivan denied that the law would cut Medicaid for Alaskans, saying the Affordable Care Act had a greater impact and raised insurance premiums in the state drastically.
    — Matthew Choi The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The new version of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has been cut from a five-hour show performed across two parts to a single three-hour performance as it is performed on Broadway.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of cut
Verb
  • Finally, Louise herself, who had since left the region and was now twice divorced, returned to advocate for the historical importance of her old home, which never did receive official landmark status, locally or otherwise.
    — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Human rights lawyer Rosy Auguste Ducena, who advocates for the rights of victims of violence, says the Haitian public is fed up with the slow pace of change.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of advocate
Verb
  • The ban had been imposed by the central elections committee, a political body dominated by Netanyahu allies, on the basis that the parties supported armed struggle against Israel.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 18 Oct. 2026
  • For a government overseeing a population dominated by mobile expats, that created a lot of uncertainty in terms of establishing an economic base that can support a welfare system and basic state infrastructure.
    — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of support

Browse Nearby Words

patronesses
patronize
patronized
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Cite this Entry

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

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