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
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
Charlotte changed course and recommended a beacon after CDOT met with parents and learned the principal had recommended students not walk to school, the city said.
—Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 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
Northbrook Court, formerly a beacon of high-end retailing located in the heart of Chicago’s wealthy northern suburbs, is pockmarked with vacancies today.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
Charlotte changed course and recommended a beacon after CDOT met with parents and learned the principal had recommended students not walk to school, the city said.
—Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 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
-
This is my Goldilocks restaurant, fancy but not too fancy, with black leather chairs on chrome stalks and light slanting in through translucent sheets of glass.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
Reality Check is a Star series holding those with power to account and shining a light on their decisions.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
10 May 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
-
Overhead on a dimmer plus task lamp to reduce glare and overstimulation.—
Alena Conley,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
-
The backstory Legend has it that a watermelon stand once occupied the site, and the hotel’s custom bedside lamps include a melon as a wink to its fruity past.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Tribal businesses often lead to significant spillover effects benefiting even non-tribal citizens, and while national-level data of their economic impact is scarce, state-level examples are illuminating.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
-
This scatterplot of stars illuminated the process of stellar evolution and jump-started the field of stellar physics more than a century ago.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Prepare for sensory overload at this clattery Malaysian spot with loud lighting and photos of dishes as stark as mug shots blanketing a wall.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
With interchangeable feet and a suite of connectors—including a camera mount, a V-mount ballhead, and a light connector—the Rocket transitions seamlessly between camera support and lighting duty.—
Robb Rice,
Robb Report,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
The wellness travel market is booming, and travelers are no longer satisfied with a robe, a candle and a cucumber-water dispenser.—
Lauren Schuster,
Kansas City Star,
6 May 2026
-
Each candle has a 12-ounce capacity that provides up to 70 hours of burn time, and with a variety of pretty patterns on the jars, they’re bound to enhance your decor, too.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Beacon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beacon. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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