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
Their explanation, detailed in a paper published this week in the journal Nature, indicates the answer resides near a distant, young star about the same size as our sun.
EC 53 is only one of thousands of protostars forming inside the Serpens Nebula about 1,300 light-years from Earth.
—
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 22 Jan. 2026
Betelgeuse’s reddish tint can be spotted gleaming from the Orion constellation, situated about 650 light-years away from Earth.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 20 Jan. 2026
What seems light-years away is just around the corner.
—Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 20 Jan. 2026
The beehive is one of the closest clusters to Earth (approximately 600 light-years away) and one of the youngest (around 600 to 700 million years old).
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for light-year
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 22 Jan. 2026
Betelgeuse’s reddish tint can be spotted gleaming from the Orion constellation, situated about 650 light-years away from Earth.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 20 Jan. 2026
What seems light-years away is just around the corner.
—Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 20 Jan. 2026
The beehive is one of the closest clusters to Earth (approximately 600 light-years away) and one of the youngest (around 600 to 700 million years old).
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for light-year
Recent Examples of Synonyms for light-year
Noun
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In a world optimized for ease, choosing to think may become a radical act.—
Rodger Dean Duncan,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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In such a world, simple answers won’t do; only the courage to ask the hardest questions will push us forward.—
Daphne Koller,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Alongside 66 potential member galaxies, X-ray emitting gas was spotted by NASA’s Chandra.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
2 Feb. 2026
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One standout target to try locating is the Bode’s Galaxy M81, one of the brightest galaxies in the evening sky.—
Michael d'Estries,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Light-year.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/light-year. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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