1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

pulsar

noun

Definition of pulsarnext
as in supernova

Related Words

Relevance

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
  • Because that light can travel along different paths around the cluster, the same supernova can appear multiple times in Hubble's view, potentially separated by months or even years.
    — Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 25 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
  • Noting the still-pending $110 billion merger with Warner Bros Discovery as a key variable, the company said in an SEC filing that the date of the shift could be subject to change.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Brands that lean on two or three big-name influencers for this kind of push are usually optimizing for the wrong variable.
    — Agung Dwi Sandi, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of variable
Noun
  • These flares are more extreme when the neutron star is closest to its stellar donor and thus passing through a denser stream of plasma.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 24 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
  • However, some stars collapse to form a white dwarf composed of oxygen, neon and magnesium.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 16 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pulsar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulsar. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on pulsar

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pulsar

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fungible

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All