as in worlds
a huge physical or conceptual distance
my sister and I are close in age, but personality-wise, there are light-years between us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 light-years
The same simulation can capture the turbulent physics of gas forming stars inside galaxies while also mapping the distribution of galaxy clusters across billions of light-years.
—
Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 6 May 2026
These shards travel billions of light-years across the universe and slam into Earth’s atmosphere.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 May 2026
From within our own galaxy to behemoths billions of light-years away, supermassive black holes create jets like nothing else in the cosmos.
—Big Think, 4 May 2026
Astronomers can use telescopes to find specific molecules in the atmospheres of neighboring planets, in nebulae – clouds of interstellar dust and gas – hundreds or thousands of light-years away, or in galaxies beyond the far reaches of the Milky Way.
—Olivia Harper Wilkins, The Conversation, 27 Apr. 2026
Space is the massive, ever-expanding realm beyond Earth’s atmosphere, spanning more than 93 billion light-years in the observable universe.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 Apr. 2026
The Trifid Nebula is a bright, colorful cloud of gas and dust about 5,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Sagittarius, according to NASA.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
Such visions pull our minds into journeys of light-years and thoughts far beyond or grounded world.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 6 May 2026
These shards travel billions of light-years across the universe and slam into Earth’s atmosphere.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 May 2026
From within our own galaxy to behemoths billions of light-years away, supermassive black holes create jets like nothing else in the cosmos.
—Big Think, 4 May 2026
Astronomers can use telescopes to find specific molecules in the atmospheres of neighboring planets, in nebulae – clouds of interstellar dust and gas – hundreds or thousands of light-years away, or in galaxies beyond the far reaches of the Milky Way.
—Olivia Harper Wilkins, The Conversation, 27 Apr. 2026
Space is the massive, ever-expanding realm beyond Earth’s atmosphere, spanning more than 93 billion light-years in the observable universe.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 Apr. 2026
The Trifid Nebula is a bright, colorful cloud of gas and dust about 5,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Sagittarius, according to NASA.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
Such visions pull our minds into journeys of light-years and thoughts far beyond or grounded world.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for light-years
Noun
-
When their fort reveals a magical ability to transport them to worlds across the globe, the girls embark on a whirlwind adventure that brings them closer again.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The two companies are working on an entertainment platform that will be connected to Fortnite and be filled with the company’s characters and worlds.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Scientists can draw on it to identify and study 100,000 exoplanets, hundreds of millions of galaxies, billions of stars, and rare objects and phenomena — including some that astronomers have never witnessed before.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 May 2026
-
At distances of billions of light-years, this corresponds to recession speeds that approach the speed of light, and for the most distant galaxies of all, like MoM-z14, speeds that even exceed it.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Light-years.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/light-years. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
