Elevate to the status of a celebrity (S, not Z) (7)

I believe the answer is:

lionise

(Other definitions for lionise that I've seen before include "Glorify; treat as a hero" , "Hero-worship" , "'Celebrate, treat as a hero (7)'" , "Treat as a celebrity - elision (anag)" , "Make fuss of (celebrity)" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.