as in to preach
to deliver a sermon
did not believe that it was the president's place to sermonize, especially to other world leaders
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Recent Examples of sermonize
Rahill is the master of male-loneliness epidemic comedy, and his best work absorbs the collective unconscious of the internet’s aimless single dudes who sermonize to their phones from front seats of cars in dead mall parking lots, then spits it back out as a ridiculous reflection.
—
Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2025
Raised in the segregated south, he was steeped in the tradition of Confederate preachers who sermonized to their flocks in the CSA on the holiness of white supremacy and characterized the Christian god as inherently racist.
—Jared Yates Sexton, The New Republic, 25 Mar. 2020
Fearmongering televangelists like Jim Bakker and Robert Tilton sermonized that those who didn’t follow Jesus—and those who didn’t donate heavily to the church—would face demons and end times.
—Jennifer Swann, Marie Claire, 6 Nov. 2019
O’Rourke’s early promise as a candidate sprang from his talents as a brooding, sermonizing communicator.
—Michael Luo, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2019
There is rarely a travel story that doesn’t touch upon, make reference to, or sermonize about food.
—Laura Delarato, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 July 2019
Last, we were shepherded to a midtown neighborhood, where Ford’s head of digital content sermonized on the in-car experience for AV passengers.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 15 Nov. 2018
Adam Driver as Flip Zimmerman and John David Washington as Ron Stallworth Photo: Focus Features
The conventional part of the film—relatively conventional, given the exuberant zigs and sermonizing zags within the narrative—varies sharply in tone.
—Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, 9 Aug. 2018
The Saddle River Reformed Church, better known as the Old Stone Church, whose current structure was completed in 1819, was the last church in New Jersey to have a minister sermonizing in Dutch.
—Julie Lasky, New York Times, 20 June 2018
Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2025
Raised in the segregated south, he was steeped in the tradition of Confederate preachers who sermonized to their flocks in the CSA on the holiness of white supremacy and characterized the Christian god as inherently racist.
—Jared Yates Sexton, The New Republic, 25 Mar. 2020
Fearmongering televangelists like Jim Bakker and Robert Tilton sermonized that those who didn’t follow Jesus—and those who didn’t donate heavily to the church—would face demons and end times.
—Jennifer Swann, Marie Claire, 6 Nov. 2019
O’Rourke’s early promise as a candidate sprang from his talents as a brooding, sermonizing communicator.
—Michael Luo, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2019
There is rarely a travel story that doesn’t touch upon, make reference to, or sermonize about food.
—Laura Delarato, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 July 2019
Last, we were shepherded to a midtown neighborhood, where Ford’s head of digital content sermonized on the in-car experience for AV passengers.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 15 Nov. 2018
Adam Driver as Flip Zimmerman and John David Washington as Ron Stallworth Photo: Focus Features
The conventional part of the film—relatively conventional, given the exuberant zigs and sermonizing zags within the narrative—varies sharply in tone.
—Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, 9 Aug. 2018
The Saddle River Reformed Church, better known as the Old Stone Church, whose current structure was completed in 1819, was the last church in New Jersey to have a minister sermonizing in Dutch.
—Julie Lasky, New York Times, 20 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sermonize
preach
Verb
-
That’s something that’s preached about.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
12 Sep. 2025
-
In an era of doubt, gaslighting, and lies, the choir needs preaching, too.—
Nathaniel Moore
September 10,
Literary Hub,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sermonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sermonize. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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