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
At this speed, a journey of 10 light-years will take approximately 100 years to complete.
—
Kai James, The Conversation, 26 May 2026
The vast Milky Way spans about 100,000 light-years and contains anywhere between 100 billion and 400 billion stars, according to NASA.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 23 May 2026
These shards travel billions of light-years across the universe and slam into Earth’s atmosphere.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 May 2026
The nearest star system, Alpha Centauri, lies about 4.37 light-years away.
—New Atlas, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for light-year
Kai James, The Conversation, 26 May 2026
The vast Milky Way spans about 100,000 light-years and contains anywhere between 100 billion and 400 billion stars, according to NASA.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 23 May 2026
These shards travel billions of light-years across the universe and slam into Earth’s atmosphere.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 May 2026
The nearest star system, Alpha Centauri, lies about 4.37 light-years away.
—New Atlas, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for light-year
Recent Examples of Synonyms for light-year
Noun
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In a fast-moving world, where relationships can feel increasingly fleeting, the arrival of Diamond Reserve, the newest premium tier within Hilton Honors, signals a shift in the hotel stay experience.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
4 June 2026
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But you'd be forgiven for rarely leaving the K2, as this ‘village-as-hotel’ is essentially a whole world unto itself.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
Noun
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Others lay flat on the cold desert sand, getting tips on how to make their mobile phones take long-exposure pictures to see the galaxy gleaming overhead.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
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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,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Light-year.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/light-year. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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