1
as in to illumine
to supply with light
a floor lamp illuminates a living room rather nicely
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to explain
to make plain or understandable
the museum's exhibit on the refraction of light really illuminated the subject for us
Synonyms & Similar Words
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3
as in to illustrate
to supplement with pictorial matter for the purpose of explanation or decoration
no one knows for sure the identity of the artist who illuminated that medieval manuscript so beautifully
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to highlight
to indicate the importance of by centering attention on
the results of the statewide testing illuminated the need to place more focus on instruction in math and science
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to educate
to provide (someone) with moral or spiritual understanding
how man is illuminated by a higher spirit
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of illuminate
There were some illuminating moments for me from the contributors.
—
Scott Bryan, Variety, 18 May 2026
My family's summer road trip had just gotten underway when an unfamiliar orange exclamation point illuminated the dashboard of our Honda Pilot.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
The original was only yards away in a small room, illuminated by studio lights.
—Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 16 May 2026
That means just a thing silver sliver of Earth's only natural satellite will be illuminated as most of its near-facing side faces away from our planet, NASA explains.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for illuminate
Scott Bryan, Variety, 18 May 2026
My family's summer road trip had just gotten underway when an unfamiliar orange exclamation point illuminated the dashboard of our Honda Pilot.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
The original was only yards away in a small room, illuminated by studio lights.
—Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 16 May 2026
That means just a thing silver sliver of Earth's only natural satellite will be illuminated as most of its near-facing side faces away from our planet, NASA explains.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for illuminate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illuminate
Verb
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Fantastic, illumined by periodic excursions into surrealism, as when the crew of a mysterious UFO boards a transpacific Kahuna Airlines jet midflight.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Geraldine walked over to Felix and Jane’s for fish soup, through long autumn shadows in the park, haze rising like smoke from the grass, illumined by the low sun.—
Tessa Hadley,
New Yorker,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Vrabel, meanwhile, stumbled though multiple press conferences while trying to both avoid and explain the issue without ever really providing details.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
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This may explain why credit markets barely budged after last week’s spending figures.—
Alaa Shahine Salha,
semafor.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Sometimes the decision is obvious, necessitated by the availability of gravitational slingshots from planets, as illustrated by the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 missions.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
19 May 2026
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First, a dating story that illustrates this dynamic.—
Greg Rosalsky,
NPR,
19 May 2026
Verb
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The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Foundation Stick All of Stewart’s fragrance and makeup go-tos are covetable, but Merit’s the Complexion Stick is arguably the best bang for your buck since it can be used as a foundation, concealer, contour, and/or highlight, according to user preference.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
23 May 2026
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Notre Dame’s dominance has been highlighted by relentless fundamentals and limited errors, the perfect antidote to Syracuse’s free-flowing and occasionally careless approach.—
Tribune News Service,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
Verb
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SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
19 May 2026
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Several teachers on the staff have been a part of Ocean Week since its origins in 1993 including Halboth, Linda Tan and Christi Walter—all three are retiring this spring after giving 35 years of educating Rancho Santa Fe students.—
Karen Billing,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Terminus always made sure their arrival came just after nightfall when the streetlights were lit and families were sitting back with full bellies bumping against their dinner tables, houses quiet; all conversation having already been spent between forkfuls of food and hearty swallows of drink.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
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The park will feature professional grade fields, lighting for extended play, learning centers and flexible gathering spaces, and will expand access to soccer for all ages for years to come.—
Miceal Chamberlain,
Boston Herald,
19 May 2026
Verb
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However, more research is needed to clarify their effects on symptoms.—
Sarah Garone,
Health,
22 May 2026
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The Neighborhood star Cedric the Entertainment clarified more about the decision to pull the plug during an episode of The Breakfast Club in April 2026, chalking it up to hefty production costs and salary demands from the cast.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Symbolic interactionism emphasizes how people build their identities through social roles and interactions.—
Shianne LeClaire,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
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The man is nameless to emphasize both the singular and the universal nature of his situation.—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Illuminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illuminate. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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