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
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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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Administrator Crystal Ruth switches on dozens of heat lamps that radiate a yellow hue to warm at least 80 disabled, abandoned or formerly abused animals that call the rescue home.—
Julian Camejo,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
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In the following months, painful shocks radiated through her chest and back.—
Brett Kelman,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Strings on folk or rock albums often exist to bolster melodies or add some easy drama; Eisenberg uses them as bursts of color, miniature sunsets briefly illuminating their melodies before sinking below the horizon.—
Reed Jackson,
SPIN,
6 Apr. 2026
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During their closest approach to the moon, when the Orion capsule will fly about 4,070 miles away from the moon’s surface, around 21% of the moon's far side should be illuminated and visible to the astronauts, according to Kelsey Young, the Artemis II lunar science lead.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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According to traditional theories, the delay between absorbing an X-ray photon and emitting an electron should be extremely small.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Apr. 2026
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Electricity from batteries — which emit no greenhouse gases — can offset power that would otherwise be supplied by fossil fuel generation such as natural gas, while also enhancing grid reliability during those hours.—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Yearning to light some tech on fire is a relatable feeling these days, as generative artificial intelligence promises to supplant nearly every form of non-physical labor, social media wreaks havoc on the mental health of young people, and massive data centers loom as environmental blights.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
8 Apr. 2026
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Balat then allegedly lit that device and ran with it before dropping it.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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While the lunar far side will be only partially lit during the flyby, the lighting is set to cast long shadows that highlight craters, ridges, and slopes in greater detail.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Apr. 2026
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After some rain earlier in the day, a magnificent sunset broke through the clouds and cast a rainbow into the sky.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But the loud complaints about the Iran war emanating from the far right are not insignificant — for instance, from podcasters Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly and political journals like The American Conservative.—
David M. Drucker,
Mercury News,
7 Apr. 2026
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That change is real, and the transformation of software engineering jobs explains much of the current panic emanating from Silicon Valley.—
Omar Abbosh,
Fortune,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In 2024, the Pentagon released hundreds of reports of unidentified and unexplained aerial phenomena.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
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The cause of the woman's death has not yet been determined, and police have not released her name.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Irradiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irradiate. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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