as in world
a huge physical or conceptual distance
my sister and I are close in age, but personality-wise, there are light-years between us
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Recent Examples of light-year
Leaning where evidence points, though, is important—even though how dark energy behaves can seem light-years away from everyday life on Earth.
—
Sarah Scoles, JSTOR Daily, 31 July 2025
For example, the BOAT was about 2.4 million light-years from Earth.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 30 July 2025
This blue-white binary star lies about 250 light-years away.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
Illustration: Getty Images A team of astronomers from the University of Montreal has discovered a new potentially habitable exoplanet orbiting the red dwarf star L 98-59, 35 light-years from Earth.
—Jorge Garay, Wired News, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for light-year
Sarah Scoles, JSTOR Daily, 31 July 2025
For example, the BOAT was about 2.4 million light-years from Earth.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 30 July 2025
This blue-white binary star lies about 250 light-years away.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
Illustration: Getty Images A team of astronomers from the University of Montreal has discovered a new potentially habitable exoplanet orbiting the red dwarf star L 98-59, 35 light-years from Earth.
—Jorge Garay, Wired News, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for light-year
Recent Examples of Synonyms for light-year
Noun
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From the thunderous canyons of Utah to the misty peaks of China, 2025 reveals a world not only rich in beauty—but in economic might.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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In this world upended, the creative minds of Western diplomacy have concluded that the best way forward is to revert to the Oslo peace process of 30 years ago.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
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On a clear night away from the glow of city lights, the sky can be spectacular—a velvet canvas dotted with millions of twinkling stars, the luminous moon, and the shimmering band of the Milky Way galaxy.—
Linnea Bailey,
Southern Living,
4 Aug. 2025
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The European Space Agency telescope is designed to make a 3D map of the universe by looking at billions of galaxies up to 10 billion light years away across one third of the sky.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Light-year.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/light-year. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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