flashlight

noun

flash·​light ˈflash-ˌlīt How to pronounce flashlight (audio)
Synonyms of flashlightnext
1
: a small battery-operated portable electric light
2
a
: a sudden bright artificial light used in taking photographic pictures
b
: a photograph taken by such a light

Examples of flashlight in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Consider taking a winter storm kit along with you, including such items as tire chains, booster cables, flashlight, shovel, blankets and extra clothing. Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 9 Apr. 2026 Using a flashlight, Young described two angles of looking at the sandbox. Ava Berger, NPR, 7 Apr. 2026 Grafe, police say, beat his mother and father — Rachel and her husband, Herbert Grafe — with a flashlight over money disputes. Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026 McCray’s flashlight began dying, and Corder passed him a spare. Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 1 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for flashlight

Word History

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of flashlight was in 1887

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flashlight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flashlight. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

flashlight

noun
flash·​light ˈflash-ˌlīt How to pronounce flashlight (audio)
: a small battery-operated portable electric light

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