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
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Recent Examples of light-years
While Earth's storms can last hours or days, these cosmic disturbances can unfold over millions of years and span thousands of light-years.
—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
Shaped like a filament, this structure of gas and dust is around 290 light-years long.
—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
22 June 2026
When the black hole feeds on gas, the object unleashes particles in the form of wind or jets that move at nearly the speed of light, traveling up to thousands of light-years into space.
—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
16 June 2026
Just as astronomers use telescopes to examine celestial objects light-years away, novelists can invoke imagined civilizations to reveal truths closer to home, in part by forcing their characters into contact with alien environments and worldviews.
—
Alexandra Oliva,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
Even with a small telescope, the seemingly mundane star is revealed as a gorgeous, colorful pair about 400 light-years away.
—
Mike Lynch,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
The star system in question, HD 81809, lies in the constellation Hydra and is roughly 90 to 101 light-years from Earth.
—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
6 June 2026
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
Shaped like a filament, this structure of gas and dust is around 290 light-years long.
—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
22 June 2026
When the black hole feeds on gas, the object unleashes particles in the form of wind or jets that move at nearly the speed of light, traveling up to thousands of light-years into space.
—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
16 June 2026
Just as astronomers use telescopes to examine celestial objects light-years away, novelists can invoke imagined civilizations to reveal truths closer to home, in part by forcing their characters into contact with alien environments and worldviews.
—
Alexandra Oliva,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
Even with a small telescope, the seemingly mundane star is revealed as a gorgeous, colorful pair about 400 light-years away.
—
Mike Lynch,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
The star system in question, HD 81809, lies in the constellation Hydra and is roughly 90 to 101 light-years from Earth.
—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
6 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for light-years
Noun
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Hotel options offer something for the whole family The elegant Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota offers a best-of-both-worlds kind of stay.
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The movie was featured this past weekend at Prime Video’s all-day inaugural immersive event Obsessed Fest which brought fans face-to-face with the stars, creators and worlds behind the most buzzworthy YA, romance and book adaptation titles.
Noun
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To fully evoke the wild ride through galaxies and dimensions, read below to find out which Supergirl character aligns with your Sun sign.
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Star-forming galaxies such as Shadow Blaster could be a key source of high-energy neutrinos.
Cite this Entry
“Light-years.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/light-years. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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