as in admires
to treat (someone) as a very important and famous person
She was lionized everywhere after her novel won the Pulitzer Prize.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 lionizes
Weberman’s early release would place him back into a community that not only protects, but lionizes him.
—
Guila Benchimol, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2026
Guila Benchimol, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lionizes
Verb
-
Ellis admires the passion and win-first mentality Nico Iamaleava brings to his position.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Despite his success, Xander remains grounded — a quality that his mom admires.—
Nasha Smith,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This competition honors the future of non-fiction film and celebrates promising new talent.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Additionally, the Outstanding Original Film, Broadcast or Streaming award honors new feature films that first aired or streamed on television (network, basic cable, pay cable, pay television, pay-per-view, interactive cable, broadband) or on an internet streaming platform.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Redemptive suffering Shared sorrow is a key part of Iran’s Twelver Shiite identity, which venerates the Prophet Muhammad’s family through daughter Fatima and cousin and son-in-law, Ali.—
Mary Thurlkill,
The Conversation,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Walsh venerates Jimmy Kimmel Live!—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Today, the family reveres New York City — and not just as a mecca for fashion.—
Randee Dawn,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Silyan is set in Kotevska’s native North Macedonia, a place that reveres white storks which return to the country each year to raise their young.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
14 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Just as Elliot respects the importance of neighborhood serenity above all, Lindsay-Abaire and Leon aren’t going to put anything onstage that will truly turn off an audience.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Surely, every candidate out there respects Donovan, a Hall of Famer.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At a time when our right to protest is under siege, this sci-fi yarn exalts the way an individual’s conviction can plant seeds of change, leading to a stronger sense of community.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Boyes, too, exalts the elephants like a man possessed.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In Margo's Got Money Troubles, Elle Fanning plays a promising first-year student at a California community college whose professor praises her work, has an affair with her, gets her pregnant, then ghosts her.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Parent praises bus driver Parents said that in the moments before the crash, the bus driver slowed down and began to pull over.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The recognizing states will have to step up, too, by making their security guarantees concrete and by helping shape a Palestinian state that does not threaten its neighbors and dignifies its people by providing functioning institutions and proper services.—
SHIRA EFRON,
Foreign Affairs,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lionizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lionizes. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
