IRRADIATE Synonyms: 87 Similar and Opposite Words

irradiate

verb

i-ˈrā-dē-ˌāt

Definition of irradiate

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

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

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 The sterile flies are irradiated and released en masse, designed to blanket a region experiencing an outbreak. — Evan Bush, NBC news, 7 June 2026 Vector control districts serving Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties have irradiated males and released them in recent years. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for irradiate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for irradiate

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

Feliciano and Jones radiated energy and exuberance throughout their first press conference as the principal owners of the Padres.

— Dennis Lin, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
The Happy Hours star radiated in a strapless deep purple silk dress with a distressed scoop neckline and asymmetrical draping on her left hip, creating a ruched effect that cascaded down to the ankle-length hemline.

— Lara Walsh, InStyle, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of radiate

Verb

During these windows, sunlight illuminates the rocket's expanding exhaust plume while the sky itself remains mostly dark.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026
As a result, most of the Sturgeon Moon could deepen into muted shades of copper, rust and brown, while a slim silver edge remains illuminated by direct sunlight.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of illuminate

Verb

While this is rare, the heat emitted from your car, in combination with a fuel spill, could cause the gasoline vapors to catch fire.

— Molly Burford, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026
This allowed the researchers to manipulate the materials’ light-absorbing and light-emitting behavior more predictably.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of emit

Verb

Finally, the Amanda Committee’s Golden Clapper went to casting directirs Mette Holme Nielsen and Jannecke Bervell for their contributions to Norwegian film over more than 30 years.

— Marta Balaga, Variety, 22 Aug. 2026
Panettiere’s death has since cast a spotlight on Hickerson, while extensive public records reviewed by NBC News detail his trail of financial and legal troubles.

— Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of cast

Verb

That could ease pressure on share prices emanating from the bond market since the purchases would push bond prices higher, helping to bring down yields.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
This exciting university city emanates a vibrant, youthful energy that’s reflected in its abundance of top-notch restaurants, cafés, and bars.

— Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of emanate

Verb

In December 2023, Mestiza released the debut album Quëreles via their independent label Sacro Music, which also reimagined flamenco traditions through a club lens.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026
Beresford draws a parallel to audience reactions when the film was first released.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of release

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irony

irradiate

irradiated

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Cite this Entry

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“Irradiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irradiate. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of irradiate

verb

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