as in lamps
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 illumines
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 beacons
Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 May 2026
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
The data is fairly precise, measured to within 3 meters every 2 minutes based on the Global Positioning System, Bluetooth beacons, cell phone towers and local wi-fi networks.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2026
These two beacons of truth and connoisseurs of mess have been bonded for over a decade, sharing the traumas of a crappy Boston dorm room and a pitiful Brooklyn dating scene.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026
Much of the Vision Zero budget goes toward road safety improvements such as pedestrian crossing beacons and flashing stop signs.
—Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026
Retailers like Macy's, Target and CVS already use bluetooth low-energy beacons for aisle-level positioning.
—Ismail Amla, Forbes.com, 20 Mar. 2026
That includes flashing beacons and bump-outs at Wauwatosa Avenue and Wright Street, bump-outs and signage at Lloyd and 73rd streets and improvements near schools at Center and 120th streets.
—Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Three were not buried and immediately began a companion rescue, using avalanche beacons, probes and shovels to search for friends and partners.
—Aidin Vaziri, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Feb. 2026
Noun
To sail through the strait without being detected by Iran, many ships are turning off their Automatic Identification Systems, which are navigational beacons that broadcast their positions to avoid collisions.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 May 2026
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
The data is fairly precise, measured to within 3 meters every 2 minutes based on the Global Positioning System, Bluetooth beacons, cell phone towers and local wi-fi networks.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2026
These two beacons of truth and connoisseurs of mess have been bonded for over a decade, sharing the traumas of a crappy Boston dorm room and a pitiful Brooklyn dating scene.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026
Much of the Vision Zero budget goes toward road safety improvements such as pedestrian crossing beacons and flashing stop signs.
—Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026
Retailers like Macy's, Target and CVS already use bluetooth low-energy beacons for aisle-level positioning.
—Ismail Amla, Forbes.com, 20 Mar. 2026
That includes flashing beacons and bump-outs at Wauwatosa Avenue and Wright Street, bump-outs and signage at Lloyd and 73rd streets and improvements near schools at Center and 120th streets.
—Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Three were not buried and immediately began a companion rescue, using avalanche beacons, probes and shovels to search for friends and partners.
—Aidin Vaziri, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beacons
Noun
-
Tablecloths followed, then napkin rings and solar lamps for the deck.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
26 May 2026
-
The developers utilize the city's darkness perfectly, creating jaw-dropping lighting effects from street lamps, neon signs, and rainfall.—
Gabriel Zamora,
PC Magazine,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
Amanda is talking about her friendships with Ciara and West in confessional when the background suddenly starts to wobble, the lights flicker, and her outfit changes.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
-
And Ursula tried to block them out, but the lights still flashed inside her eyelids.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
The bright light of Alnitak, the easternmost star in Orion's Belt, illuminates the Flame Nebula (NGC 2024) to the left of the Horsehead, while Alnilam — the middle star in the hunter's belt — glows blue-white in the upper left.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
28 May 2026
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By pairing Coltrane’s expansive sound world with two contemporary feature films, ‘The Queen of My Dreams’ and ‘Mother of George,’ the project illuminates diasporic stories of displacement, identity, tradition, and transformation across continents.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
The Greek patriarch will light candles and then the flame is passed from one candle to the next.—
Sam Mednick,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Brumbelow has found that cars with headlights rated highly by IIHS for visibility—which includes many but not all LED headlights—have 19% fewer nighttime crashes compared to cars with poor headlight visibility.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Beacons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beacons. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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