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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of irradiate
Clooney — face wrapped in a giant gray beard — plays Augustine, a scientist at an Arctic research station that's still standing after an unnamed global catastrophe leaves the Earth irradiated.
—
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Dec. 2025
Set two-hundred years after atomic armageddon, residents of Vault-Tec’s network of luxury fallout habitats begin to explore the radioactive territory outside their shelters and discover a nightmarish world of militant factions, irradiated creatures, vicious raiders, and feral monsters.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 16 Dec. 2025
The oldest dates back to 1970 and holds big, gnarly trees grown from 100 percent American irradiated nuts grafted onto Chinese rootstock.
—Eric J. Wallace, Outside, 24 Oct. 2025
After decades of technological and scientific advancements, irradiating food is now a common practice around the world.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irradiate
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Dec. 2025
Set two-hundred years after atomic armageddon, residents of Vault-Tec’s network of luxury fallout habitats begin to explore the radioactive territory outside their shelters and discover a nightmarish world of militant factions, irradiated creatures, vicious raiders, and feral monsters.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 16 Dec. 2025
The oldest dates back to 1970 and holds big, gnarly trees grown from 100 percent American irradiated nuts grafted onto Chinese rootstock.
—Eric J. Wallace, Outside, 24 Oct. 2025
After decades of technological and scientific advancements, irradiating food is now a common practice around the world.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irradiate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irradiate
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
-
Mosquitoes target spots where heat radiates most, like the head and neck.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
1 May 2026
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That required segmenting the coil and inserting electronics within it to keep it from radiating its energy away like an antenna.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Arellano was recognized for opinion writing for his columns illuminating the fear and devastation of local immigrants during last summer’s ICE raids.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 May 2026
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But such moments when a TNO is illuminated by a star in the cosmic background, called stellar occultations, are rare opportunities to study the size, shape and features of a small, distant object, Arimatsu said.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Unlike most exoplanet studies, which focus on atmospheres, astronomers analyzed heat emitted from this planet's surface.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
4 May 2026
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The challenges are not unique to wealthier versus low-emitting countries.—
Paige Stein,
Hartford Courant,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Brunson lit the match, but the game belonged to all of them.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
5 May 2026
-
One candle is lit with another, moths are invited in.—
Brenda Hillman,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Verb
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That gave Washington’s supporters 25 of the 50 seats in the City Council, and with the mayor casting a tiebreaking vote, the stalemate was broken.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
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On the bright side, the Eta Aquarid's are known to produce the occasional fireball, which could easily pierce the veil of moonlight cast by the lunar disk.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
Verb
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In the morning, I would be woken by music emanating from the frat house down the block.—
Saïd Sayrafiezadeh,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
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The vehicle was apparently abandoned in the Hollywood Hills and towed to a police impound lot, where an employee noticed a foul smell emanating from the trunk last September and alerted authorities.—
Andi Babineau,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The group, originally signed to RCA Records, released two albums of bustling synth pop and opened for Harry Styles in the late twenty-tens but was cast off in the early days of the pandemic owing to low sales.—
Dan Stahl,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
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Every weekday, the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer releases the Homestretch — an actionable afternoon update, just in time for the last hour of trading on Wall Street.—
Zev Fima,Alexa LoMonaco,
CNBC,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Irradiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irradiate. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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