FLASHES Synonyms: 231 Similar and Opposite Words

flashes 1 of 2

noun

plural of flash

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

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Relevance

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as in explosions

a sudden intense expression of strong feeling a much-needed flash of humor during the otherwise boring lecture

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as in minutes

a very small space of time the shower will be over in a flash

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as in miracles

something extraordinary or surprising the new goalie for our hockey team was apparently quite a flash in his hometown

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flashes

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of flash

as in gleams

to shoot forth bursts of light the actress's diamond necklace flashed as she hurried on stage to accept the award

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as in displays

to present so as to invite notice or attention flashed a wad of cash as he paid for his dinner

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as in twinkles

to shine with light at regular intervals the disco lights flashed, and the revelers danced

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as in announces

to make known openly or publicly flashed the news of the royal birth around the world

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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 flashes

Noun

For some, fall fashion starts with color, working in warm browns and flashes of crimson red or shaking typical neutrals up with pops of cobalt blue. — Minty Mellon, Vogue, 24 Aug. 2026 Iridescent flashes and gold gemstones emulate deep-sea treasures. — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 22 Aug. 2026 JSerra transfer Gino Wang made his debut at quarterback for Servite, and the junior signal-caller showed flashes of what could come this season, making multiple incisive passes and pulling off a big 20-yard run on fourth down. — Caleb Otte, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026 Sammis is trying to turn those flashes into more consistency as TCU continues to reshape its offensive identity after the departure of key stars from last year, such as quarterback Josh Hoover and wide receiver Eric McAlister. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Aug. 2026 Jobe, the third pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, has above-average stuff and had shown flashes of excellence in the Tigers rotation before injuring his UCL last year. — Jim Bowden, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 Powerful thunderstorms that light up the skies with flashes of lightning followed by booming thunder dumped several inches of rain across the Kansas City metro, according to rainfall totals. — Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026 The sample size is only 10 games, and though his quarterback rating was the second-worst among signal-callers with more than 155 pass attempts, there were some flashes of good quarterback play. — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026 As the moon slid into place over the sun, onlookers may have seen Baily’s beads—flashes of sunlight shining through valleys along the moon’s rugged limb. — Claire Cameron & Lee Billings, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026

Verb

As Robert Spillane works through a quiet camp, fellow inside linebacker Christian Elliss flashes again and again, this time in coverage during 7-on-7s with a pass breakup. — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 1 Aug. 2026 Danny Trejo flashes a smile at San Diego’s Comic-Con International on July 25. — Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026 The other flashes forward to the mid-1990s and focuses on a team of FBI agents (including Shailene Woodley and Alexander Ludwig) hunting the elusive Unabomber who get a significant lead in the case connected to Kaczynski’s past. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 29 July 2026 The system, when working, flashes warning signs, alerts law enforcement to respond and displays messages on digital signs to warn drivers on the Turnpike. — Miami Herald, 24 July 2026 Belafonte flashes his famous smile under his famous widow’s peak. — Joshua Jelly-Schapiro, Vanity Fair, 21 July 2026 Dent works to instill a culture of swift response anytime a light outside a room door flashes on. — Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 5 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for flashes

Noun

Solar panels produce massive bursts of cheap electricity during midday.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2026
The trick is to hold the can 8 to 10 inches away, and spray in short bursts.

— Iman Balagam, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of bursts

Noun

Deadly fires, often linked to electrical faults or gas cylinder explosions, are common in India where investigators have frequently pointed to safety lapses and inadequate enforcement of fire regulations as contributing to recurring loss of life.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
Swift was designed to study gamma-ray bursts, the most powerful explosions in the universe, which are triggered by cosmic events like the births of black holes and collisions between ultra-dense stars at the ends of their lives.

— Denise Chow, NBC news, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of explosions

Noun

No one is expecting miracles this season, even with hundreds of millions of pounds worth of new players in the team.

— Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
At a certain point, the deadly seriousness of so many consecutive anti-miracles can’t help but turn faintly comical.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 30 July 2026

Definition of miracles

Verb

Like Beckham’s dress, the 100-percent silk dress softly gleams in the light.

— Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025
Despite a couple of funky skips, the album is fueled by the hunger of an artist who really wants the pop life again, perking up electro-scuzz and arena rock with new wave that gleams like glitter.

— Pitchfork, Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2025

Definition of gleams

Verb

Designed by En Masse Architecture and Design with a+c architects, the design displays a sense of weight that’s appropriate for brick construction.

— Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
Inside its Equipment Innovation Center in Atlanta, a massive television screen displays real-time data showing what drinks dispensed by the Freestyle are trending, what time of day and where — from the region to the type of business.

— Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of displays

Verb

In the camp’s Cinema building, an old projector flickers to life on the scene where young Billy (Amanda Fix) loses her virginity, and the real Billy materializes behind Kris, hoping for a jump.

— JP Mangalindan, Time, 10 Aug. 2026
On another monitor, a dashboard that resembles the menu screen of a flight simulator flickers to life — only this is no simulation.

— Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2026

Definition of flickers

Verb

Every few weeks, another headline announces that artificial intelligence has matched a doctor, beaten a doctor, or is finally ready to become one.

— Arya Rao, STAT, 19 Aug. 2026
If that was not confusing enough, the calendar remains shrouded in uncertainty until only a few weeks before the first match of each campaign, when the PCB belatedly announces the fixtures.

— Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026