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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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 romanticize Around the same time, writers like Washington Irving and James Fenimore Cooper were similarly inspired by the Catskills and romanticized it in the form of literature. Anna Haines, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 The film doesn’t romanticize nature, but instead presents it as indifferent—the mark of many great horror villains, like Michael Myers—where even a simple mistake, like leaving a map behind, can lead to deadly consequences. Travis Bean, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2024 Most important, the whole apparatus gets dismantled and stored after Thanksgiving, to reappear in April — ending arctic dinners under erratic heat lamps that many romanticize but few still choose. Justin Davidson, Curbed, 21 Aug. 2024 What’s interesting – maybe even damning – is that the kneejerk reaction is to romanticize Walz as a sympathetic and easily understood character rather than assessing his record as a public servant. Kyle Denis, Billboard, 14 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for romanticize 

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“Romanticize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/romanticize. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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