beacon 1 of 2

noun

ˈbē-kən How to pronounce beacon (audio)
Definition of beaconnext
as in light
something that provides illumination the floodlit skyscraper is one of the city's most beloved nighttime beacons

Synonyms & Similar Words

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beacon

2 of 2

verb

as in to illumine
to supply with light a lone lighthouse beacons the entrance to the island's only harbor

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 beacon
Noun
But Lanterns is a shining beacon of what is possible when someone is allowed to get really creative within the genre. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026 But a monthslong migration crisis in the Spanish exclave, which Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will visit on Tuesday for the first time, has exposed divisions in a place that bills itself as a beacon of coexistence. — ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
Verb
In its early years, it was located smack in the middle of the grounds, a beaconing festival-goers with beats, cirque performances and the all-important misters. — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2024 Growing underground with their luminous flowers beaconing through the soil, around 90 species of Thismia have been discovered. — Melissa Breyer, Treehugger, 27 Feb. 2023 See All Example Sentences for beacon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beacon
  1. light
  2. illumine
  3. lamp
  4. illuminate
  5. lighting
  6. candle
Noun
  • But most visitors were gathered around one explosively colorful painting in swirling shades of light and dark blue, bottle green, and pale gold.
    — Joan Martelli, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Two lasers replace hardware Optical frequency combs work much like rulers for light.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of light
Verb
  • Fantastic, illumined by periodic excursions into surrealism, as when the crew of a mysterious UFO boards a transpacific Kahuna Airlines jet midflight.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Geraldine walked over to Felix and Jane’s for fish soup, through long autumn shadows in the park, haze rising like smoke from the grass, illumined by the low sun.
    — Tessa Hadley, New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2026
Definition of illumine
Noun
  • In the corner, a circa 1930s Danish white earthenware table lamp by Michael Anderson & Sons is from Gallery BAC in NYC.
    — David Foxley, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Like the main house, the ADU’s interiors mix new pieces with vintage accessories, including a Room & Board four-poster bed in the bedroom and midcentury ceramic lamps, textiles and artworks that Donnelly found at Los Angeles estate sales.
    — Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of lamp
Verb
  • The curved bar, constructed from cast-glass beams covered in silver leaf, takes on an intergalactic glow when illuminated at night.
    — Khushbu Shah, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Oct. 2026
  • On sunny days, a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows filters in lots of natural light, illuminating the sleek blond wood interiors.
    — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of illuminate
Noun
  • The new plans also include more changes to the project's lighting and traffic patterns.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Another image showed Fox reclining beneath the same dramatic lighting in a metallic two-piece swimsuit.
    — Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of lighting
Noun
  • Feeling gleeful at the first excuse to pull on a sweater or light an autumn candle?
    — Danielle Bouchard, Martha Stewart, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Coinciding with the presentation that christened her store, Hod also launched a fragrance blending green tea and orchid blossoms, which is available to purchase as a perfume, candle or diffuser.
    — Ari Stark, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of candle

Browse Nearby Words

beachside
beacon
beaconed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Beacon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beacon. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about beacon

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