1
as in to inform
to give information to
the lecturer at the planetarium enlightened us about the latest astronomical discoveries
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to educate
to provide (someone) with moral or spiritual understanding
many people around the world have been enlightened by the teachings of Gautama Buddha
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of enlighten
As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times.
—
The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
Approaching your weekend of adventure means choosing active, cultural and social experiences that will engage and enlighten you.
—Bill Bootz, Charlotte Observer, 29 Dec. 2025
The upside of the task is to reflect anew on work that moved and enlightened me in the past year and to try to capture something of the filmmaker’s creative achievement.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 29 Dec. 2025
Not just out of charity, but enlightened self-interest.
—David Miliband, Time, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enlighten
The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
Approaching your weekend of adventure means choosing active, cultural and social experiences that will engage and enlighten you.
—Bill Bootz, Charlotte Observer, 29 Dec. 2025
The upside of the task is to reflect anew on work that moved and enlightened me in the past year and to try to capture something of the filmmaker’s creative achievement.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 29 Dec. 2025
Not just out of charity, but enlightened self-interest.
—David Miliband, Time, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enlighten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enlighten
Verb
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The purpose was to inform the players that the team would not be forfeiting an upcoming home match against SJSU.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
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The tech is also analyzing women’s health data to inform clinical approaches.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
3 Feb. 2026
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To many charter school advocates, declining enrollments are a result of IPS' failures to educate historically underserved students, sparking their flight to charters.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Mostly Mute Monday tells an astronomical story in images, visuals, and no more than 200 words.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
2 Feb. 2026
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Kate later told Mary Berry that William tried to pull out all the stops in the kitchen to impress her early on in their relationship.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
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While it was made in the ‘90s, the collection (which showed slip dresses, shirts with undulating ruffles, and jacquard silk jackets constructed to look permanently burst-open) was inspired by the romance between Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife Josephine.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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The work was inspired by cephalopods such as octopuses, which can rapidly alter their skin’s appearance and texture to blend into their surroundings or communicate.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Venezuelans in need of consular support in the US typically had to travel to a third country, like Canada or Mexico, with another acceptable form of documentation to get it; that’s even what the International Organization for Migration advised.—
Maeva Bambuck,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
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Instead, the plant expert advises only repotting when roots circling the pot become visible and/or when growth slows.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The officers repeatedly instructed him to drop the weapon and attempted to isolate him in the home’s living room by closing a glass door between them and Chakraborty.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
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In the same way humans might periodically scroll social media while working on other tasks, installing this file instructs the AI agents to periodically hang out on Moltbook.—
Tharin Pillay,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Enlighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enlighten. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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