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
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Recent Examples of beacons
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
Search and rescue tools attached to these satellites are able to detect emergency distress signals transmitted by 406 beacons — devices that are specifically designed to ping the satellite.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 4 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
The survivors used avalanche beacons and iPhone Emergency SOS via satellite to text emergency services.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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
Search and rescue tools attached to these satellites are able to detect emergency distress signals transmitted by 406 beacons — devices that are specifically designed to ping the satellite.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 4 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
The survivors used avalanche beacons and iPhone Emergency SOS via satellite to text emergency services.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 21 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beacons
Noun
-
One of Kahn’s sculptural lamps and a large-scale tapestry appear early on in the film in the Tribeca loft of Lily, Andy Sachs’s (Anne Hathaway) best friend who has apparently had a successful career in art after being introduced as a gallery assistant in the first film.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
8 May 2026
-
Sangalang said color temperature cannot be tweaked since the individual light-emitting diodes in the lamps are manufactured to a specific color temperature and can’t be changed once they’re made.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Gemini will also be able to answer questions about the vehicle’s status, including warning lights and cargo capacity.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
12 May 2026
-
With the birds nesting on a light pole above the field, the school couldn't turn on the lights for late-night games.—
Ashley Grams,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
His struggle no longer illuminates much of anything.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
5 May 2026
-
At the same time, faint light reflected from Earth softly illuminates the Moon, revealing mountains and craters in a dim twilight.—
Deana L. Weibel,
The Conversation,
30 Apr. 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 14 May. 2026.
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