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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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
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Recent Examples of beacon
Rachel Holt, CBS News, 17 May 2026
Entrepreneurship, once a beacon of American progress, has been on the decline since the 1970s.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 15 May 2026
Melissa Breyer, Treehugger, 27 Feb. 2023
In the meantime, January will beacon you into hermit mode, especially at the top of the month due to the Cancer full moon on Friday, January 6.
—Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for beacon
Noun
Host Rachel Holt visits this coastal landmark to uncover the stories, artifacts, and maritime history behind one of the South Shore's most enduring beacons.
—Rachel Holt, CBS News, 17 May 2026
Entrepreneurship, once a beacon of American progress, has been on the decline since the 1970s.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 15 May 2026
Verb
Growing underground with their luminous flowers beaconing through the soil, around 90 species of Thismia have been discovered.
—Melissa Breyer, Treehugger, 27 Feb. 2023
In the meantime, January will beacon you into hermit mode, especially at the top of the month due to the Cancer full moon on Friday, January 6.
—Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for beacon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beacon
Noun
-
Beach villas are A-frame with soaring ceilings and sculptural pendant lights that look like the shells that line the beach in front.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
-
The show has always affected a devil-may-care attitude, but in previous seasons, less-wearying — not to say light or uplifting — moments came up as a result of the chemistry between the young ensemble.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
1 June 2026
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
Noun
-
Instead, its discreet entrance beckons you into a foyer alight with more than a dozen dangling glass lamps crafted by Barovier & Toso of Murano, and a sketch-like portrait of the actress Monica Vitti by the Franco-Chinese painter Yan Pei-Ming.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
-
The same circadian system that morning sunlight activates can be reinforced or undermined by what’s screwed into your lamps for the next 14 hours.—
Allison Palmer
June 2,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Tents are adorned with explorer-style campaign furniture and Zanzibari trunks and illuminated by Earth tones that complement—but not compete with—the natural beauty of surrounding grasslands.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Artworks in the exhibition embody the intellectual content of Native traditions, newly illuminated by the unique properties that can only be achieved working with glass.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
At Eau Bar during early sunset, spring for a poolside lounger to catch a soul-stirring ceremony of bodu beru drummers walking the edge of a circular infinity pool, torch-lighting a fire ring backed by a fading horizon.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
-
In July 2025, Hurley revealed another one of her tricks for taking the best bikini photos, emphasizing that lighting was key.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Always unplug electric candle warmers, space heaters, and similar devices when not in use to avoid fire hazards.—
Emily Williams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 June 2026
-
These misshapen and withered figurines—a teddy bear with a candle and a turkey in pointed shoes—looked over at the photos from low plinths in one corner of the gallery.—
Theo Belci,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Beacon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beacon. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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