1
as in to illuminate
to supply with light
small table lamps illumine the inn's dining room in a most romantic way
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to educate
to provide (someone) with moral or spiritual understanding
readers of great literature are both entertained and illumined
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of illumine
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, 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
These fruits are tiny stars, planets in arm’s reach,
little moons reddened by desire and cunning,
the sun, at each step, illumines the petals of the dogwood flowers, their bright yellow is dimmed by no leaf, on their still-bare branches the first fissure in winter opens up by magic.
—Literary Hub, 19 May 2025
Rev 21:10), an ark of salvation sailing through the waters of history and a beacon that illumines the dark nights of this world.
—Daniel Burke, NPR, 9 May 2025
The bar was illumined by candles and an uplit line of mostly esoteric liquors along the full-length mirror against the back wall.
—Lauren Groff, The Atlantic, 28 Sep. 2024
In a room illumined by the light of a few candles, a group of women with veils over their faces conducts a séance.
—Rhoda Feng, ARTnews.com, 9 Aug. 2024
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
These fruits are tiny stars, planets in arm’s reach,
little moons reddened by desire and cunning,
the sun, at each step, illumines the petals of the dogwood flowers, their bright yellow is dimmed by no leaf, on their still-bare branches the first fissure in winter opens up by magic.
—Literary Hub, 19 May 2025
Rev 21:10), an ark of salvation sailing through the waters of history and a beacon that illumines the dark nights of this world.
—Daniel Burke, NPR, 9 May 2025
The bar was illumined by candles and an uplit line of mostly esoteric liquors along the full-length mirror against the back wall.
—Lauren Groff, The Atlantic, 28 Sep. 2024
In a room illumined by the light of a few candles, a group of women with veils over their faces conducts a séance.
—Rhoda Feng, ARTnews.com, 9 Aug. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illumine
Verb
-
Public rhetoric, especially when amplified through modern communications channels, can inflame rather than illuminate.—
William E. Lori,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Kaplan mines Mitford’s own writings, her family letters and photos, plus archives to detail each phase of this multifaceted life, illuminating along the way her loves, losses, loyalties and confounding contradictions.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Terracycle, a recycling company with a major distribution center in Aurora, will also be on-site to educate the community about waste diversion and creating a zero-carbon footprint, according to the news release.—
Aurora Beacon-News,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
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At the heart of this is also the aim to create an ecosystem for young filmmakers – one that empowers and educates them on the importance of marketing and distribution so that great stories don’t just get made, but truly reach audiences.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For some, a Day 3 NFL draft selection lights a competitive fuse, so to speak.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Until Artie Moreno fixes the holes in the ceiling and the holes in the lineup, the only thing consistently lit in Anaheim might be a Closed for Infestation sign.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The music that we were inspired by at that time and looking to as luminaries never had a broad appeal.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The hotel’s 42 guest rooms–all of which have balconies with city views, soft furnishings made from upcycled kimonos and sakiori weavings, parquet flooring inspired by tatami patterns and Nagoya tiles in the bathrooms–occupy two additional floors below the club spaces.—
Terry Ward,
Robb Report,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Other plants, like succulents and flowers, can help brighten up the space.—
Farima Ferguson,
The Spruce,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The filmmakers have lightened and brightened their source material to a kid-friendly degree — even the English countryside, as glisteningly shot by George Steel, has never looked less overcast.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Illumine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illumine. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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