as in lamps
something that provides illumination
the floodlit skyscraper is one of the city's most beloved nighttime beacons
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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 beacons
Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Just as a compass needle reveals Earth’s magnetic field, Punctum may be the first of many cosmic beacons pointing to new ways of mapping the invisible forces that shape galaxies.
—New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2025
Stop companies from tracking you with email aliases The average e-commerce site uses between 15 and 30 third-party scripts, analytics trackers, ad pixels and behavioral beacons, according to a study.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2025
These towns were beacons of Black excellence, boasting banks, newspapers, schools, and railroads.
—Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 16 Aug. 2025
The pod awaiting pickup communicates with the drone via a set of radio frequency beacons which assists the aircraft in triangulating the pod's position.
—Ed Garsten, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
But in the future, other randomness beacons could also join the same protocol.
—Edd Gent, IEEE Spectrum, 25 June 2025
Noun
To improve safety, the transportation division has lengthened no passing zones and added flashing yellow beacons to no passing zones signs, Ronaldson said.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Just as a compass needle reveals Earth’s magnetic field, Punctum may be the first of many cosmic beacons pointing to new ways of mapping the invisible forces that shape galaxies.
—New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2025
Stop companies from tracking you with email aliases The average e-commerce site uses between 15 and 30 third-party scripts, analytics trackers, ad pixels and behavioral beacons, according to a study.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2025
These towns were beacons of Black excellence, boasting banks, newspapers, schools, and railroads.
—Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 16 Aug. 2025
The pod awaiting pickup communicates with the drone via a set of radio frequency beacons which assists the aircraft in triangulating the pod's position.
—Ed Garsten, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
But in the future, other randomness beacons could also join the same protocol.
—Edd Gent, IEEE Spectrum, 25 June 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beacons
Noun
-
At home, consider swapping heavy drapes for a pair of airy lace curtains, adding milk-glass lamps, and trading scalloped edges for straight ones.—
Ginger Perra,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Ornate iron street lamps stand outside what appears to be a colorful quaint row of hoses with shutters on the windows, flower boxes in front of them and traditional terracotta tiles lining the roofs.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Even back on board, the show continues after dark, with pelicans and reef sharks drawn to the yacht’s lights and sea lions sometimes clambering onto the aft deck.—
Rachel Ingram,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The lights dim, music rises, and the room bursts into vibrant motion.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
During the holidays, a massive Christmas tree illuminates the space.—
Lauren Mowery,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Moonlight illuminates open-air dining in a former railway station, where brews from Poland’s emerging craft beer scene also await.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
2 Sep. 2025
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 12 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share