BEAM Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

beam 1 of 2

noun

ˈbēm

Definition of beam

as in ray

a narrow sharply defined line of light radiating from an object we'll need a flashlight that casts a broader beam in order to really see anything

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

beam

2 of 2

verb

as in to shine

to emit rays of light a lighthouse has beamed from this site since the 1790s

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to grin

to express an emotion (as amusement) by curving the lips upward my father beamed when I showed him my new car

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 beam

Noun

Optomechanisms are a rich source of development in engineering, including telescopy, miniature projectors, tractor beams, and quantum optomechanical mirrors made from a few hundred atoms and only a few microns thick. — New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026 These structural feats culminate at the building’s center, where arched steel beams span 185 feet over a public plaza — opening to Expo Park and the neighborhood — to frame a 90-foot-diameter oculus, floating four stories up. — Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026

Verb

Inside a University of Miami social media class on the day Dolly died on Tuesday, students had their first assignment social posts beamed onto the room’s screen for class evaluation. — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026 In the black and white image, Parton is seeing beaming at the monarch. — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for beam

Recent Examples of Synonyms for beam

Noun

Each image hasX-ray data from Chandra, combined with data from other telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), Hubble, IXPE, Swift, and NuSTAR, and others both in space and on the ground.

— Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2026
The hot inner region that would normally produce strong X-rays becomes surrounded by this thick disk.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of ray

Verb

For instance, maybe there’s a member of your team who would shine in a slightly different role, or perhaps there’s someone who needs just a bit more feedback to perform at their best.

— Sam Talya, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
The lefty, who shined in the Yankees’ rotation before suffering a flexor strain, could also factor into the bullpen.

— Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of shine

Verb

Latino artists, activists and musicians, suspended mid-motion, grin down at passersby.

— Marissa J. Lang, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
Framed photos of the late NHL star, grinning alongside their now-3-year-old daughter, Noa, and son Johnny, 2, circle their living room couch and sit on their kitchen island.

— Julie Mazziotta, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of grin

Verb

Still, given the national attention given last winter to the air conditioning not working properly in an Angel Stadium weight room, Neto said the evaluation from the Rams’ locker room was glowing.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
The best body scrubs are a cheat code to achieving healthy, glowing skin fast.

— Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of glow

Verb

Holding their accounts on freeze like a fortress are smarmy bank managers who laugh in the face of Beirut citizens who attempt a demand on their own funds.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026
Camp’s turn here as a kooky neighbor who stumbles into an unexpected romance is exactly the kind of role that gets a room talking (and laughing).

— Clayton Davis, Variety, 4 Sep. 2026