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

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beam

2 of 2

verb

as in to shine

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

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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

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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

Despite a paywall, a graphic on the piece shows data centers in these outposts beaming valuable data to the Middle Kingdom, which, to the American government, is unacceptable. — John Werner, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 The sun beams down as Karen Sterling waits in line for a Talarico rally in Lockhardt on July 28. — Eleanor Dearman updated August 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 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 now, the green sage is merely a bronze statue on the lawn, posed to ignore the grinning Grogu behind him.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
His carefully coiffed side parting is as immaculate as his smile, something that distinguishes him from the rest of his party, whose members tend to grimace rather than grin.

— Esme Nicholson, NPR, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of grin

Verb

As Gansey greeted them, shaking hands, taking photos and smiling endlessly, one stepped forward with a question that encapsulated everything.

— Tony Jones, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Where the Europeans see a battle to be won, and even the other Sherpa see a terrifying sacred force, Tenzing sees a heavenly mother — smiling down on him since childhood, bearing witness to his heartbreaks in adulthood, calling him now to come home.

— Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of smile

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