as in glows
the steady giving off of the form of radiation that makes vision possible
the door opened a crack and let in a gleam of light from the hallway
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in glints
to shoot forth bursts of light
fine china and stemware gleaming in the candlelight
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Recent Examples of gleams
Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2026
His new wife, Nina (Brittany Snow), an art dealer who is also Madison’s former assistant, gleams with insecurity.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025
Today, while the lobby of the old movie palace gleams in the afternoon sun, no light gets in through the roof.
—Laura L. Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 9 Nov. 2025
My reflection is tall, perhaps rather like an arrow, my blond hair gleams.
—Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2025
Below, the Winged Victory gleams in the garden.
—Erica Wertheim Zohar, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
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, 4 Dec. 2025
The mother-and-daughter duo revamped almost every corner of the 7,000-square-foot home, including its exterior, which now gleams with white siding and cobalt-blue shutters.
—Paola Singer, Architectural Digest, 13 Nov. 2025
The Airstream gleams absurdly against the ocherous land below.
—Rowan Jacobsen, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
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
Noun
Your 4th House of Traditions gleams under today’s Full Moon, so private needs are potentially straining against public duties.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2026
His new wife, Nina (Brittany Snow), an art dealer who is also Madison’s former assistant, gleams with insecurity.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025
Today, while the lobby of the old movie palace gleams in the afternoon sun, no light gets in through the roof.
—Laura L. Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 9 Nov. 2025
My reflection is tall, perhaps rather like an arrow, my blond hair gleams.
—Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2025
Below, the Winged Victory gleams in the garden.
—Erica Wertheim Zohar, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
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, 4 Dec. 2025
The mother-and-daughter duo revamped almost every corner of the 7,000-square-foot home, including its exterior, which now gleams with white siding and cobalt-blue shutters.
—Paola Singer, Architectural Digest, 13 Nov. 2025
The Airstream gleams absurdly against the ocherous land below.
—Rowan Jacobsen, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gleams
Noun
-
Kind of two orange glows, like someone had lit two tiny matches out in space.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
-
These jets strike previously ejected gas, creating shockwaves that heat that gas, causing the bright glows demonstrated by HH 80 and HH 81 in this Hubble image.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Soft breezes ripple through the sea grapes, and sunlight glints off the aquamarine shallows that surround Bahia Honda State Park.—
Carrie Honaker,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Since it was released at the end of 2023, the hulking, angular vehicle has been subject to jokes about its appearance and glares from people who disagree with CEO Elon Musk’s politics.—
Andrea Guzmán,
Austin American Statesman,
14 Jan. 2026
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Saab recommends combining overhead lighting with wall sconces and table lamps to lend more flexibility while also avoiding harsh glares.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
For the celebratory event, Gomez and nail artist Tom Bachik chose an on-theme bronze nail polish combo that shimmers like the surface of the sun.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
15 Jan. 2026
-
The evening fades into dawn as Fifth Avenue shimmers in the early light, while a guest strolls home to the faint echo of laughter.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Whether the draw is a championship band program, the tradition of Friday night lights, or a dedicated teacher who goes the extra mile for a struggling reader, that choice is a powerful act of love.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
28 Jan. 2026
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The restaurant, serving up Italian-American red sauce fare, is famous for its decor, with red leather booths, string lights, gingham tablecloths, and chianti bottles dangling from the ceiling.—
Jocelyn Silver,
Vogue,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In addition, the researchers observed that the object shines brightly in X-rays and emits strong radio waves.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Jan. 2026
-
The more extreme and crazier the moves are, the more the light shines and spreads.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Ahead, discover our top picks for organizers, including a freestanding unit that can double as a washing machine hutch and a glass-shelf piece that glistens in chrome.—
Kristi Kellogg,
Architectural Digest,
15 Jan. 2026
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Carved from a block of white and green jadeite, the remarkably realistic sculpture of a Chinese cabbage glistens as if freshly picked from a field, still wet with morning dew.—
Wayne Chang,
CNN Money,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The mysterious crime family flashes across the screen with John Noble and Luke Kirby portraying certain members.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
20 Jan. 2026
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Sir Idris Elba flashes his charming smile while visiting the Graham Norton Show, at BBC Studioworks in London.—
Katie Hill,
PEOPLE,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gleams.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gleams. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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