illumes

verb

present tense third-person singular of illume
1
as in inspires
to provide (someone) with moral or spiritual understanding a favorite line of an Eastern Church hymn reads, "through fast-closed doors Thou camest Thy Disciples to illume"

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2
as in illumines
to supply with light during the vigil service the church's Gothic interior was illumed by the light of hundreds of tapers

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for illumes
  1. inspires
  2. illuminates
  3. educates
  4. lights
Verb
  • There is a near-identical robot to be found at Jalsa, an Indian restaurant in my Brooklyn neighborhood, where its presence inspires the same frisson of novelty as a hands-off steering wheel.
    — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • This inspires Other Mommy to gruesomely kill Frank in front of Bela, including blowing his head up in an outrageous explosion of blood.
    — William Earl, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of inspires
Verb
  • With her clear sense of purpose and self-belief, Chase illuminates our own generative and creative capacities, inspiring and delighting in equal measure.
    — Ruth Negga, Time, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The Aries Full Moon illuminates your private 12th house, bringing an old emotion, habit, memory, or attachment closer to the surface.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of illuminates
Verb
  • The organization educates veterans about underutilized resources and opportunities.
    — Monique John, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Eton College, located in the English county of Berkshire a stone’s throw from Windsor Castle, educates boys aged 13 to 18 and accepts around 270 students per academic year.
    — Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of educates
Verb
  • Alex Consani walks into a room and lights the whole thing up.
    — Time, Time, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Fellow junior defensive back Cody Dean echoed that sentiment, noting that the way the 5-foot-9, 170-pound Garey plays above his size lights a fire under his teammates.
    — Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of lights
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.

Browse Nearby Words

illumed
illumes
illuminant
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Cite this Entry

“Illumes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illumes. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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