1
as in illuminating
to supply with light
small table lamps illumine the inn's dining room in a most romantic way
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in educating
to provide (someone) with moral or spiritual understanding
readers of great literature are both entertained and illumined
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illumining
Verb
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Her transcendent new novel, Song of Ancient Lovers, translated by Caro De Robertis, layers chapters illuminating the allure of the story of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon over the centuries with a contemporary love story set in refugee camps in Yemen.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026 -
Videos shared on social media showed flashes of light illuminating the night sky followed by loud booms echoing through residential areas.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
3 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Longoria was honored with the Maestro Cares Community Hero Award for educating and empowering Latin women through Eva Longoria Foundation (ELF), and Balvin received the Trailblazer of Cultural Empowerment Award for his commitment to raising awareness about mental health.—
Jessica Roiz,
Billboard,
8 Nov. 2025
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Sheffieldhas said that focusing on educating Detroit’s children, and continuing to improve public safety and life in the neighborhoods will be among her priorities if elected mayor.—
Corey Williams,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Thinking globally and acting locally means electing people of vision, not people who couldn't find their way out of a paper bag without a lobbyist lighting their way under the table, or down the wrong path where for-profit companies rule and teachers are scapegoated for society's failures.—
SHELLEY SMITH SPECIAL TO THE DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2026
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More than just lighting a candle, Fischer says upcoming scent trends are leaning toward personalized scents synced with the time of day, activity, or the area of the home.—
Kristina McGuirk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Moonshot Museum opened in 2022 and was Pennsylvania's first space museum as well as the first in the world to focus on inspiring young people to pursue a career in the modern space industry.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Nov. 2025
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Professional sports are rapacious for-profit enterprises that produce wildly entertaining, sometimes violent, and sometimes inspiring athletic competition.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Gerdes loves to work silver foliage plants like dusty miller (Jacobaea maritima) into containers, their light, shimmery leaves brightening up the garden.—
Miranda Crowell,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Oct. 2025
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Chicken and rice is a satisfying choice for brightening anyone's day.—
Emma Ashe,
Southern Living,
27 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Illumining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illumining. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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