1
as in to illumine
to supply with light
a floor lamp illuminates a living room rather nicely
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to explain
to make plain or understandable
the museum's exhibit on the refraction of light really illuminated the subject for us
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3
as in to illustrate
to supplement with pictorial matter for the purpose of explanation or decoration
no one knows for sure the identity of the artist who illuminated that medieval manuscript so beautifully
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4
as in to highlight
to indicate the importance of by centering attention on
the results of the statewide testing illuminated the need to place more focus on instruction in math and science
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to educate
to provide (someone) with moral or spiritual understanding
how man is illuminated by a higher spirit
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of illuminate
Reflective and semi-transparent surfaces are found throughout the store, with Frazen highlighting shelving that illuminates a lineup of handbags and footwear on display.
—
Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2025
Investing in outdoor lighting is a simple solution to illuminate pathways and porches for safer steps.
—Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
Conybeare, a classics scholar, intertwines learned exegesis with examples of Augustine’s human idiosyncrasies, offering illuminating analyses of the philosopher’s seminal texts and ideas—including his theory of original sin—and of the role that his heritage played in his self-conception.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Also visible in the picture is a bright green aurora, illuminating the Canadian sky near Edmonton.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for illuminate
Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2025
Investing in outdoor lighting is a simple solution to illuminate pathways and porches for safer steps.
—Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
Conybeare, a classics scholar, intertwines learned exegesis with examples of Augustine’s human idiosyncrasies, offering illuminating analyses of the philosopher’s seminal texts and ideas—including his theory of original sin—and of the role that his heritage played in his self-conception.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Also visible in the picture is a bright green aurora, illuminating the Canadian sky near Edmonton.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for illuminate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illuminate
Verb
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Rev 21:10), an ark of salvation sailing through the waters of history and a beacon that illumines the dark nights of this world.—
Daniel Burke,
NPR,
9 May 2025
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The lighting illumines each river in brilliantly bright backdrop colors.—
Mark Swed,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
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At each camp, the team leaves behind a small but powerful item, a red card that explains what to do during encounters with immigration officials.—
David Rodriguez Muñoz,
Freep.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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The powers that be explained to me that in the audiobook, there would be no easy way to identify the bees’ chapters, which were designated with italics in the printed version, unless the narrator’s voice changed from female to male.—
Elizabeth Bass Parman,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Budding influencers have been warned to look after their health, after researchers illustrated what the average influencer might look like come the year 2050.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
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That could look like a tool or dashboard that illustrates where the AI is highly accurate or where human intervention might be needed.—
Marne Martin,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Marcela Rodríguez, co-chair of the Illinois Latino Agenda, highlighted the importance of being prepared for ICE encounters during a press conference on Friday.—
Deena Zaru,
ABC News,
9 Sep. 2025
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Ellis highlighted the importance of having a film establish such a strong alliance between the North and Northeast of Brazil, especially considering the longstanding focus on the Southeast and cities like Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The game serves a dual purpose by educating users about the growing prevalence of synthetic media while providing valuable data to improve BitMind’s detection algorithms.—
Becca Bratcher,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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The school district, which educates about 23,000 students, is working toward making CPR a skill that every student learns at least once a year starting in fifth grade, said Superintendent Joe Harrington.—
Ciara McCarthy
September 9,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Another challenge was lighting, to shoot everything in a visually coherent and realistic manner amid all the smoke.—
Tomris Laffly,
Time,
6 Sep. 2025
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James appears to be walking toward the viewer with a burning flame lit behind him.—
Michael Nied,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The last two years have been clarifying, and not only in unpleasant ways.—
Jack Sheehan
September 4,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
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However, the cruise line did not confirm the identity of the individuals and did not clarify what caused the distress.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Schmitt also emphasized the importance of focusing on other aspects of the bill, including no taxes on overtime and no taxes on tips.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Sep. 2025
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The nonprofit emphasized the need for lawmakers to improve coordination across the early learning system as new policies come forward.—
Lina Ruiz
September 8,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Illuminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illuminate. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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