as in limelight
the center of public attention
reality show contestants who become addicted to the spotlight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to focus
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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 spotlight
Bryan West, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
The Earthshot Prize aims to spotlight inspiring, innovative solutions to some of the planet’s most urgent environmental challenges, awarding prizes across five key areas.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
Idaho Statesman, 15 Oct. 2025
The pandemic shined an intense spotlight on the diverging fortunes of video games and Hollywood.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spotlight
Noun
The series will spotlight performers (see the cast here), family members and friends — including Gracie Abrams, Sabrina Carpenter, Ed Sheeran and Florence Welch.
—Bryan West, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
The Earthshot Prize aims to spotlight inspiring, innovative solutions to some of the planet’s most urgent environmental challenges, awarding prizes across five key areas.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
The Statesman is shining a spotlight on this election with news, in-depth enterprise reporting, exclusive watchdog stories, and our Voter Guide Q&As with candidates answering our questions.
—Idaho Statesman, 15 Oct. 2025
The pandemic shined an intense spotlight on the diverging fortunes of video games and Hollywood.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spotlight
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spotlight
Noun
-
My poetry began as a father’s sly growl, became a spectacle on a rickety stage washed in limelight, and now is a 70-year-old woman’s walk back into a thousand yesterdays.—
Via Scribner,
Literary Hub,
6 Oct. 2025
-
The city has largely avoided the brunt of the immigration limelight somehow, with Chicago in full focus in recent days.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
If the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel holds, where will The Free Press focus the majority of its editorial attention?—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
13 Oct. 2025
-
While Waze still focuses on driving, this integration blurs the lines between the two apps.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The sequel, set for October 2026, centers on a young Facebook engineer named Frances Haugen (played by Mikey Madison) who teams up with Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz (Jeremy Allen White) on a risky mission to bring attention to Facebook’s biggest secrets.—
Kirsten Chuba,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Mamdani is going to be the mayor of their district, of their -- of their city, and that's why there's so much attention on this.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Using Hubble's data, astronomers have identified more than 80 possible star clusters inside this ring, many less than 100 million years old, though the spiral galaxy itself has likely persisted for over a billion years.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
20 Oct. 2025
-
The post did not identify the boy or the friend who was with him.—
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette,
Arkansas Online,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spotlight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spotlight. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share