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pulsar

noun

Definition of pulsarnext
as in supernova

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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 pulsar That means the measurements provided by pulsar timing arrays could help determine how abundant heavy black hole seeds were in the early universe. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 Aug. 2026 The pulsar ties back to early research on the phenomenon, which had scientists wondering if their signals were signs of alien life. — Jared Weiss, New York Times, 31 July 2026 In 2023 a collaboration of radio astronomers reported tiny deviations in the timing of these flashes from dozens of pulsars in the Milky Way. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 18 June 2026 The source is a pulsar wind nebula (PWN) powered by the pulsar PSR J1849-0001, located in the constellation Aquila. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 26 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pulsar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulsar
  1. supernova
  2. quasar
  3. nova
  4. supergiant
  5. variable
  6. neutron star
  7. white dwarf
Noun
  • The final collapse results in a supernova explosion and creates a neutron star with a mass between one and two times that of the sun.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • If Chicago had not gone full supernova on Sunday, Baltimore’s offense would be the biggest fantasy story.
    — Andy Behrens, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of supernova
Noun
  • The supermassive black hole in question is powering a type of quasar called a blazar.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The team spotted the distant quasar, an actively feeding supermassive black hole, using observations from the Subaru Telescope.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 23 Jan. 2026
Definition of quasar
Noun
  • Even though novas are exceptionally bright, supernovas are brighter—reaching billions of times brighter than the sun at their peak.
    — Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 July 2025
Definition of nova
Noun
  • The observations show the red supergiant has an atmosphere with a temperature of around 3,680 degrees Fahrenheit (2,030 degrees Celsius), but possesses at least two regions even hotter than this.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Located 7,200 light-years away, Cygnus X-1 features not only a black hole — the first one ever identified more than a half-century ago — but a blue supergiant star, its constant companion.
    — Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Definition of supergiant
Noun
  • When an upper bound on a variable equals a lower bound on the same variable, no doubt remains about its true value.
    — Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026
  • That development is the variable that will push and pull the USMNT pool in different directions.
    — Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of variable
Noun
  • Scientists have long suspected there is indeed a pathway for a white dwarf to become a neutron star.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Hubble’s images reveal an intricate web of gas and dust spreading outward from the explosion’s center, where a rapidly spinning neutron star remains.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of neutron star
Noun
  • The core becomes a white dwarf, and for single stars, that is the end.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The white dwarf emits radiation and produces a giant gas bubble—the lion’s face—that destroys dust in its path.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of white dwarf

Browse Nearby Words

pulpy
pulsar
pulsars
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Cite this Entry

“Pulsar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulsar. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pulsar

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pulsar

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