1
as in informs
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 educates
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
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Recent Examples of enlightens
The Harlem Book of the Dead, conceived and nurtured by Camille Billops, cherishes that remembrance and enlightens us as only memory can.
—
Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
Hopefully, that prepares them to be active and engaged citizens of the democracy that George Washington fought so hard to secure and enlightens them to do something with their lives that will make the world a better place.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 20 Aug. 2025
Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
Hopefully, that prepares them to be active and engaged citizens of the democracy that George Washington fought so hard to secure and enlightens them to do something with their lives that will make the world a better place.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enlightens
Verb
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Athlete feedback informs the use of thin padding and a lightweight heel counter beneath to balance comfort, capture and weight.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
29 Jan. 2026
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And when Lord Penwood dies, the villainous step-mother informs poor Sophie that her father left her no inheritance, and to survive, Sophie must become a maid in the Penwood house.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.—
Cody Cottier,
Scientific American,
29 Jan. 2026
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Proceeds from the concert will benefit the Painted Turtle, which provides a summer camp experience for kids with serious medical issues, and the Bridge School, which educates children with severe speech and physical disabilities.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Jennette McCurdy tells Sofia Coppola about writing Half His Age.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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After age 30, people lose, on average, 3% to 5% of their muscle mass each decade, which is an especially risky trajectory for women, Rachele Pojednic, PhD, EdM, FACSM, a nutrition and exercise researcher, and director of education at Stanford Lifestyle Medicine, tells SELF.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Part of the writer’s job—well, maybe all of it—is to leave behind a text that inspires feeling and debate.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
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Artificial intelligence inspires both excitement and anxiety, and few people are as well equipped to separate signal from noise as Rajeev Kapur.—
Rodger Dean Duncan,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In the end, the thieves did not steal his car, but Roy advises any other victim — let the thieves take it.—
Marissa Sulek,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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When selecting a bird bath, only use a shallow dish that is no deeper than 3 inches, advises Mizejewski.—
Anne Readel,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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If a page instructs you to run code to fix a problem, close it immediately.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
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The order instructs Education Secretary Linda McMahon, former head of the Small Business Administration and co-founder of the World Wrestling Entertainment, to shrink the $100 billion department, which cannot be dissolved without Congressional approval.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
16 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Enlightens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enlightens. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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