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
That type of growth acts like a beacon to other non-energy investors, and suddenly Chi has found his companies’ funding rounds increasingly crowded. — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026 The only visible sign of it was its green eyeshine, two beacons burning with their own copper fire. — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 21 Sep. 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
  • As Applied Aerospace strips out IPO charges over the next two quarters, demonstrates its capital-light operating leverage, and starts collecting cash on its backlog, the valuation gap will likely compress.
    — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
  • What’s different about this style is that its uppers are completely decorated with small, shimmering crystal details in a silvery, light-catching finish.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 2 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
  • Whether major design outlets beyond House Beautiful begin treating portable/cordless lamps as a default recommendation rather than a styling flourish.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Her Calla Lily sconces show her mirthful approach, also embodied in her towering egg and pear lamps.
    — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of lamp
Verb
  • This, Rostov’s main thoroughfare, wasn’t illuminated by the familiar bright glare of its many street lamps, or by light from its windows, now blacked out, but emerged from the darkness all the more gently in a milky cloak of moonlight.
    — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The Aries Full Moon illuminates your private 12th house, bringing an old emotion, habit, memory, or attachment closer to the surface.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of illuminate
Noun
  • Using sine wave generators and pink lighting so saturated it essentially blots out all other color and shadow, Young and Zazeela created a space that’s somehow both static and full of life.
    — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The dramatic lighting and wax museums are just spooky enough to summon the spirit of the witch trials without being off-putting for children.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of lighting
Noun
  • And some manage the difficult trick of tasting like fall without giving off loads of scented-candle energy.
    — Monti Carlo, AJC.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Alongside wireless lamps and smart calendars, the current shortlist includes candle warmer lamps, heated throw blankets, essential-oil diffusers, sunrise alarm clocks and rainfall showerheads.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 30 Sep. 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 5 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on beacon

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about beacon

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