as in to idealize
to represent or think of as better than reality would warrant
he romanticized what life in a small town would be like, only to be later disappointed when reality intruded
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Recent Examples of romanticize
Varas didn’t sound interested in romanticizing March.
—
Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
British live-fire cook Genevieve Taylor didn’t start out romanticizing cooking over an open flame, with visions of industry cred or Michelin stars dancing in her head.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 30 Mar. 2026
Caucuses are often romanticized as a crucial engine of grassroots democracy.
—Doug Friednash, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2026
Herzog depicts the bushmen who aid Boyes as dignified, diligent and intelligent without romanticizing them while capturing the rugged beauty of the African landscape.
—Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for romanticize
Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
British live-fire cook Genevieve Taylor didn’t start out romanticizing cooking over an open flame, with visions of industry cred or Michelin stars dancing in her head.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 30 Mar. 2026
Caucuses are often romanticized as a crucial engine of grassroots democracy.
—Doug Friednash, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2026
Herzog depicts the bushmen who aid Boyes as dignified, diligent and intelligent without romanticizing them while capturing the rugged beauty of the African landscape.
—Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for romanticize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for romanticize
Verb
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However, Neptune idealizes, which can ultimately blur boundaries, while Mercury prefers to be analytical, seeking out the facts and hard data.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
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The definition of ultra-processing reflects a philosophy that idealizes traditional culinary practices and treats modern food processing methods as suspect, regardless of their health effects.—
David S. Ludwig,
STAT,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The visual culture produced by Anduril to glamorize its unmanned rockets, submarines, and accompanying control software leverages a lot of Aeropittura’s potential.—
Simon Denny,
Artforum,
20 Apr. 2026
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The notebook glamorizes love as possession.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Romanticize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/romanticize. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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