candles

noun

plural of candle
as in lanterns

Related Words

Relevance

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 candles 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for candles
  1. lanterns
  2. candelabra
  3. candelabras
  4. chandeliers
  5. headlights
  6. lighthouses
  7. light bulbs
  8. lamps
Noun
  • People often associate it with lanterns, souk objects and traditional decor.
    — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • String lights, solar lanterns, warm-toned bulbs and candle lanterns handle the lighting.
    — Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of lanterns
Noun
  • And perhaps as a reaction to our hyper-digital lives, candlesticks and candelabra are interior catnip right now.
    — Francesca Perry, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The kids rounded out their group costume, with 3-year-old Phoenix dressed as the candelabra, Lumière, while 2-year-old London dressed up as Chip, the teacup.
    — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of candelabra
Noun
  • The 1900 building, in the campus’ northwestern corner, is one of its jewels — a vaulted room hung with candelabras lit for the campus opening in gold and blue, the school colors.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Tall candelabras helped create mood lighting.
    — Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Definition of candelabras
Noun
  • Le Bistrot de Jan is a lovely jewel box just off the lobby, with glittering chandeliers and walls and furniture in deep sapphire and ruby tones.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Inside the Masonic Lodge on the cemetery grounds, beneath chandeliers, dozens of people search for stillness with a meditation class.
    — Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of chandeliers
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
Definition of headlights
Noun
  • Instead, at this landmark property you’re treated to 360-degree waterfront views of the Old Port, sailboats, and historic lighthouses.
    — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Travelers can watch whales, hike mountain and coastal trails, see historic lighthouses, and visit the 375-million-year-old Percé Rock.
    — Maryam Siddiqi, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of lighthouses
Noun
  • And for the ultimate in energy efficiency, invest in LED bulbs, which are up to 90 percent more efficient than traditional light bulbs.
    — Amanda Sims, Architectural Digest, 27 Oct. 2026
  • There was a narrow bed and, above it, a row of light bulbs that emitted infrared beams.
    — D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of light bulbs
Noun
  • Like the main house, the ADU’s interiors mix new pieces with vintage accessories, including a Room & Board four-poster bed in the bedroom and midcentury ceramic lamps, textiles and artworks that Donnelly found at Los Angeles estate sales.
    — Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Rather than lighting an entire room, try task lighting like reading lamps, under-the-cabinet light strips, and desk lamps that illuminate a workspace.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of lamps

Browse Nearby Words

candlelight
candles
candor
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Candles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/candles. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fulsome

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All