civilize

By the fifth century BCE, some of the larger villages of Macedon grew big enough to be considered cities, and elite Macedonians made efforts to civilize their country in the style of the southern Greeks.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2020

Without dogs, human beings would not have been able to civilize, as they did.

From Salon ● Nov. 10, 2019

Most of “Darlin’ ” follows the title character, as she first resists the church’s plan to civilize her, then gradually begins to come around to the idea that she needs to be “saved.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2019

Mara Nelson-Greenberg’s very dark comedy, about an empathy coach trying to civilize an unwoke collection agency, gives its final notice.

From New York Times ● Apr. 18, 2019

"What happened to 'aye'?" "I'm trying to civilize me speech—my speech."

From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood

We sense early on, from Mortensen’s delicate handling of their courtship, that this isn’t some musty rehash of the trope where she civilizes him and he domesticates her.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2024

But there she is, one of the immortal characters of literature, and how can you not fall in love with somebody who civilizes savage people by telling them stories?

From New York Times ● Sep. 4, 2015

Far from revealing our barbarism, fighting civilizes us, Gottschall writes.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 15, 2015

It opened up a discussion about anonymity, pseudonymity and whether using real names civilizes the Internet.

From Forbes ● Oct. 15, 2012

Pernicious weed! whose scent the fair annoys, Unfriendly to society's chief joys, Thy worst effect is banishing for hours The sex whose presence civilizes ours.

From Pipe and Pouch The Smoker's Own Book of Poetry by Various

The author describes how in June 1940 the Nazis requisitioned the hotel to be the home of the Abwehr, the more civilized part of the intelligence services, at least compared with the Gestapo.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as a civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors.

From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026

“From ancient Persia of thousands of years ago to the civilized Iran of today, the spirit of Iran remains alive and steadfast,” the note read.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026

Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. said External link “taxes are what we pay for civilized society,” suggesting we get what we pay for.

From Barron's ● Apr. 14, 2026

She told Chucha civilized people had to sleep on beds, coffins were for corpses.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

Heaney was born with a subject he often resisted, and “Digging” turns away from violence to the civilizing necessity of work.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025

Colonialism, once equated by the West with civilizing progress, became synonymous with iniquity.

From New York Times ● Dec. 10, 2023

Without the civilizing influence of true love, the widower returns to his roots, teaching Brooke how to track, shoot and lie.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2023

The French called this aspect of imperialism “the civilizing mission.”

From Textbooks ● Dec. 14, 2022

Attempts at civilizing her rolled right off her.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor