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

Relevance

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
Esquire, under the editor Harold Hayes, was a beacon for writers like Norman Mailer, Tom Wolfe, and Talese. — Kelefa Sanneh, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026 For generations, the 103-year-old Catholic parish has been a beacon of solace and resistance for residents angry about the latest indignity to befall the historic heart of Latino Los Angeles. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 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
  1. light
  2. illumine
  3. lamp
  4. illuminate
  5. lighting
  6. candle
Noun
  • After the bright lights of the Tour, Vollering returned to the countryside this week.
    — Jessica Hopkins, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • ClearJet’s asset-light approach instead uses its orchestration layer to connect existing capacity across multiple providers, which Edison Partners identified as the company’s central advantage.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 14 Aug. 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
  • The report states Hackett faces charges of improper display of tags, a restriction on vehicle lamps, no seat belt, purchase or possession of alcohol by a minor and refusal to submit to arrest.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Few stories are as closely associated with the Middle East as Aladdin's magic lamp.
    — Alia Noor, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of lamp
Verb
  • The ceilings were arched and line with skylights, allowing natural light to illuminate the space.
    — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 12 Aug. 2026
  • At night the entire thing is illuminated with over 6,000 programmable white LEDs.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of illuminate
Noun
  • Apart from the cleanup, the Kallimarmaro is also getting a new track, upgraded lighting and fresh support facilities.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The creative team also includes Alex Lacamoire on music supervision and orchestrations, David Korins on scenic design, Gregg Barnes and Sky Switser on costume design, Natasha Katz on lighting design and Peter Hylenski on sound design.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of lighting
Noun
  • While sharing her beauty secrets with Vogue, the Bollywood star sets the mood by lighting a Dolce & Gabbana candle.
    — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Both fragrances will be available in a variety of Bath & Body Works products such as body cream, body wash, fragrance mist and a 3-wick candle, among other products.
    — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 12 Aug. 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 17 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on beacon

Nglish: Translation of beacon for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about beacon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All