1
as in bursts
a sudden and usually temporary growth of activity
a flash of last-minute trips to the grocery store before the onset of the big snowstorm
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in explosions
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
a much-needed flash of humor during the otherwise boring lecture
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in minutes
a very small space of time
the shower will be over in a flash
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in miracles
something extraordinary or surprising
the new goalie for our hockey team was apparently quite a flash in his hometown
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in gleams
to shoot forth bursts of light
the actress's diamond necklace flashed as she hurried on stage to accept the award
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in displays
to present so as to invite notice or attention
flashed a wad of cash as he paid for his dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
4
as in announces
to make known openly or publicly
flashed the news of the royal birth around the world
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 flashes
Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 13 Oct. 2025
The offense had some flashes early.
—Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Jones showed flashes throughout camp — and even in his snaps against the Bengals — of interior explosiveness, but still needs to develop against the rush.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2025
Roofman is simply too odd a bird, a movie that sets out to be a romp but can’t bring itself to smooth over the rougher aspects of its material, especially in terms of its main character’s addiction to showing off with gifts or flashes of cash.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
An amazing new video shows flashes of sunlight sparkling off a batch of SpaceX satellites, with a green aurora glowing just below.
—Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 10 Oct. 2025
But in flashes, the discerning eye could see it.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2025
Skarsgård has long been a red carpet renegade, showing flashes of that playful freak that lives within.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 3 Oct. 2025
Every so often, though, Friend surprised me with flashes of context.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
Alma Rota, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
Andy Lyons / Getty Images The greatest women’s track and field star of her generation flashes a contagious smile.
—Jason Jones, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
That nucleotide flashes light in a characteristic color that identifies which base is being connected.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2025
But then, the actress flashes a mischievous grin.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
Hayley then flashes a strip of sonogram photos at the camera as the couple smiles and sways in the sunlight.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
The film begins with a flashback scene to the beginning of the rage virus, then flashes forward 28 years to an isolated island near the Scottish Highlands, where its inhabitants are isolated from the zombie-like creatures that roam the mainland.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
The fall in home borrowing costs comes as the bond market flashes signals that the US economy may be deteriorating more than expected, after new data suggested that the US labor market was much weaker than previously thought.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
But before the title even flashes on screen, we are granted the disturbingly detailed view of a bullet ripping through the face of a young boy.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
Storms can be spotty and short-lived, while others can unleash strong winds, flashes of lightning and torrential downpours.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 13 Oct. 2025
The offense had some flashes early.
—Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Jones showed flashes throughout camp — and even in his snaps against the Bengals — of interior explosiveness, but still needs to develop against the rush.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2025
Roofman is simply too odd a bird, a movie that sets out to be a romp but can’t bring itself to smooth over the rougher aspects of its material, especially in terms of its main character’s addiction to showing off with gifts or flashes of cash.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
An amazing new video shows flashes of sunlight sparkling off a batch of SpaceX satellites, with a green aurora glowing just below.
—Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 10 Oct. 2025
But in flashes, the discerning eye could see it.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2025
Skarsgård has long been a red carpet renegade, showing flashes of that playful freak that lives within.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 3 Oct. 2025
Every so often, though, Friend surprised me with flashes of context.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
The amps are now gone, but the cross still flashes onscreen.
—Alma Rota, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
Andy Lyons / Getty Images The greatest women’s track and field star of her generation flashes a contagious smile.
—Jason Jones, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
That nucleotide flashes light in a characteristic color that identifies which base is being connected.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2025
But then, the actress flashes a mischievous grin.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
Hayley then flashes a strip of sonogram photos at the camera as the couple smiles and sways in the sunlight.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
The film begins with a flashback scene to the beginning of the rage virus, then flashes forward 28 years to an isolated island near the Scottish Highlands, where its inhabitants are isolated from the zombie-like creatures that roam the mainland.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
The fall in home borrowing costs comes as the bond market flashes signals that the US economy may be deteriorating more than expected, after new data suggested that the US labor market was much weaker than previously thought.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
But before the title even flashes on screen, we are granted the disturbingly detailed view of a bullet ripping through the face of a young boy.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flashes
Noun
-
But that does not stop him from making an impact in smaller bursts.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Bassitt, Schneider said, is stretched out enough to pitch in short bursts or log four to five innings.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
What To Know Telegram channels and Ukrainian media reported that there were explosions in Feodosia overnight Sunday after drones attacked an oil depot which caused a fire that could be seen miles away.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
-
The blast set off smaller explosions, local officials said, and shook homes as far as 15 miles away while scattering debris over half a square mile.—
Alisha Ebrahimji,
CNN Money,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Simons didn’t let a lack of minutes early in his career ruin his spirit.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The Eletta Explore is a fully automatic machine that crafts more than 50 hot and cold drinks, including cold brew in under 3 minutes.—
Melissa Knific,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Believing miracles can happen is how Tony Arenas has approached his life-threatening medical challenges.—
Cathy Kozlowicz,
jsonline.com,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Not only that, Liverpool’s second summer transfer window under him was riotous (unprecedented, really, for the club and the Premier League), rendering miracles unnecessary.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Patches of unintelligibility are nothing new in Pynchon, but usually a coherent world view gleams upward from the murk.—
Kathryn Schulz,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
-
Nothing gleams as beautifully as a white kitchen.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Users typed a url in the navigation bar, or typed a search query in that same space—a feature that Opera first pioneered but which was soon copied by Google—and the browser takes the user to that web address or a search results page, which displays a list of links.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Each set of hands displays a different time zone, with the gold hands indicating sidereal time and the blue hands showing a standard 24-hour day.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
After a dust-up with Ted over the local grocery store’s adherence to the state’s mask mandate, Joe impulsively announces his rival candidacy for mayor of Eddington, and tensions eventually boil over to the point of deadly violence.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Oct. 2025
-
During Christmas dinner, Martha (72) announces her separation after discovering her husband’s affair with her best friend, upending the holiday as her children and their partners confront their own romantic issues.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Ali was scoring plenty with jabs and flurries, but his attempts to land big punches mostly fell flat.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Thin air and unpredictable wind flurries near Everest’s highest elevations prevent the drones from operating at some of the final camps leading to the summit.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flashes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flashes. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share