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halo 1 of 2

noun

ˈhā-(ˌ)lō How to pronounce halo (audio)
Definition of halonext
1
as in aura
a special quality or impression associated with something the halo of unimpeachable honesty in which the politician had long basked

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in glory
an artistic rendering of radiant light around the head or body of a sacred personage a naturalistic depiction of Saint Peter that shows him as a humble fisherman and without the traditional halo

Synonyms & Similar Words

halo

2 of 2

verb

as in to beam

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 halo
Noun
There are very few tools that can accurately assess skills, but relying on managerial judgment alone is fraught with biases like the halo, horn and recency effects. — Tonushree Mondal, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Honey, compared to white sugar, has a bit of a health halo and is thought of as a better choice than refined sugars. — Sheah Rarback, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
The larger ones are steeply mountainous, volcanic, rising to almost 6,000 feet, their summits haloed in clouds. — Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 May 2020 There is a none-too-subtle mystical vibe, from the ring lights that halo the massive trees on Amaya’s Bay Area campus to Forest’s cult-leader magnetism and the cold-burn fervor of his head acolyte, Katie (a quietly terrifying Alison Pill). — James Poniewozik, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2020 See All Example Sentences for halo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for halo
  1. aura
  2. glory
  3. beam
  4. atmosphere
  5. aureole
  6. shine
  7. smell
  8. enhalo
Noun
  • The scale of its attack on the United States gave al-Qaeda an aura of momentum and outsize influence within the jihadi movement and beyond.
    — Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The aura of regimented cool that Vanhée created at the Row caught the attention of Hermès executives.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of aura
Noun
  • Michigan came away looking like the greedy usurper that stole Western Michigan’s moment of glory, even if the Wolverines had nothing to do with the Big Ten replay procedure.
    — Austin Meek, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Watching from the sideline in a Boomer red shirt and a cowboy hat was Bradshaw, the past watching the future, understanding and appreciating the opportunity, the pressure and the glory as only someone in the small quarterback fraternity can.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of glory
Verb
  • When one of the most impressive performances of his head-coaching career was over, Kiffin embraced school president Wade Rousse and beamed at the remaining fans.
    — Matt Baker, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Clooney then thanked his friends and his wife, Amal Clooney, who was beaming in the audience.
    — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of beam
Noun
  • That independence from the atmosphere is what transformed submarines from vessels that could briefly operate underwater into warships capable of remaining hidden beneath the ocean for months.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026
  • But peatlands that are damaged—by drainage, fire, or a warming climate—can release that stored carbon back into the atmosphere, contributing to the concentration of greenhouse gases that is driving climate change.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of atmosphere
Noun
  • It is bordered by hummocky deposits, called aureoles, that were formed by landslides from the mountain.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 20 May 2025
  • Jacob knew from photographs the goblin face, the aureole of whitening hair.
    — Lan Samantha Chang, Harper's Magazine, 14 Aug. 2023
Definition of aureole
Verb
  • The spotlight shines bright on Josh Allen and especially Joe Brady.
    — Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • There should be no information shared with that committee that does not deserve the light of day shone brightly upon it.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of shine
Noun
  • Rarely has a film so resourcefully evoked the transportive but decidedly analog thrill of reading; rarely has the warmly musty smell of research libraries and archives somehow wafted with such sense-memory precision off a cinema screen.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Ecology officials fined Nippon $4,500 in 2024 for releasing excessive amounts of sulfur dioxide, a poisonous gas with a strong smell.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of smell
Verb
  • These enhaloed the heads of models who led the audience down a garden path in New York’s Marble Cemetery into a romantic realm of fairy tale and fantasy.
    — Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 14 Dec. 2018
Definition of enhalo

Browse Nearby Words

hallways
halo
haloed
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Cite this Entry

“Halo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/halo. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about halo

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