irradiate

verb

i-ˈrā-dē-ˌāt How to pronounce irradiate (audio)
Definition of irradiatenext
1
as in to illumine
to supply with light the light from a galaxy of flashing signs irradiates the heart and soul of Las Vegas

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to radiate
to throw or give off irradiating an aura of supreme confidence on the playing field

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 irradiate His team added soil that had been irradiated almost five years earlier, and then closed the circuit. — Siddhant Pusdekar, Quanta Magazine, 1 June 2026 Trump’s obsession with gold has led his critics to compare him to the Bond villain Goldfinger, a bullion dealer who hatches a plan to irradiate the gold in Fort Knox in order to increase the value of his own supply. — Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 4 May 2026 Most of the food comes ready to eat, having been rehydrated, thermostabilized using heat to destroy harmful microorganisms and enzymes, or irradiated to kill bacteria. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026 Boyd notes that the power in the beam matters but so does the material that is irradiated. — Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for irradiate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irradiate
  1. illumine
  2. radiate
  3. illuminate
  4. emit
  5. light
  6. cast
  7. emanate
  8. release
Verb
  • 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
Definition of illumine
Verb
  • The spacecraft is due to launch in October and, if successful, will demonstrate the ability to radiate heat efficiently and run useful workloads for customers, Johnston said.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 15 July 2026
  • Besides, Beckham practically radiates the sort of star power that dispenses with the need for endless chatter; like Michael Jordan in his Hanes/Space Jam heyday, his physical presence takes precedent over the usual run of blunt-force loquacity.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of radiate
Verb
  • Think of this as a mini-art gallery where illuminated dioramas spring to life and transform before us.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026
  • Adding dyes and microparticles to the water and illuminating them with lasers helped capture the flows on high-speed video.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 13 July 2026
Definition of illuminate
Verb
  • The last, loudest horn would emit a sound similar to, if not more fierce than, the current average car horn sound.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 12 July 2026
  • Most red light face masks emit visible red light with wavelengths between 630 and 660 nanometers (nm).
    — Sukhman Rekhi, Verywell Health, 10 July 2026
Definition of emit
Verb
  • That lit a fire under England, which answered via a goal from Jude Bellingham.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 12 July 2026
  • Decathlete Rafer Johnson lit the Olympic flame in 1984 at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
Definition of light
Verb
  • The apartment vacancy rate and declining price in townhomes and condominiums have some people casting a wary eye on the health of the housing market.
    — Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2026
  • Nolan recalled facing similar skepticism before The Dark Knight, particularly after the late Heath Ledger was cast as the Joker.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 11 July 2026
Definition of cast
Verb
  • As Maestas explained to the Washington Examiner, her study found deepening structural issues in the economy emanating from an aging population.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 11 July 2026
  • Additionally, 85 million pounds of food thawed, burned and spoiled inside, creating a terrible smell that emanated from the property.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
Definition of emanate
Verb
  • On Tuesday alone, Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo are all releasing their latest quarterly results.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 July 2026
  • Calls for police in Wilmington, Delaware, to release body cam footage from the officer who shot and killed Kadir Skinner in June are growing.
    — CBS News Philadelphia Staff, CBS News, 14 July 2026
Definition of release

Browse Nearby Words

irony
irradiate
irradiated
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Cite this Entry

“Irradiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irradiate. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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