as in glowing
giving off or reflecting much light
the shining moon formed a nice backdrop for our outdoor concert
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in beaming
to emit rays of light
the sun appears to shine particularly brightly in summer because that is when it's closest to the Earth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in polishing
to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure
the salesman shined his shoes every morning before leaving the house
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shining
Joe Vardon, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Eloise's shining moment comes in Quinn's To Sir Phillip, With Love, and follows her love story with Sir Phillip Crane—yes, that Phillip, who married his late brother's true love Marina Thompson.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 31 Jan. 2026
Tory Johnson, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
The shining light, minus the hill.
—Tracy Baim, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shining
Adjective
The Boston Celtics, in second place in the East without Jayson Tatum this year and Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis traded away, are another shining example.
—Joe Vardon, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Eloise's shining moment comes in Quinn's To Sir Phillip, With Love, and follows her love story with Sir Phillip Crane—yes, that Phillip, who married his late brother's true love Marina Thompson.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 31 Jan. 2026
Verb
Shinery takes your jewelry from dirty and dull to sparkling and shining.
—Tory Johnson, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
The shining light, minus the hill.
—Tracy Baim, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shining
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shining
Adjective
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At this point, my relationship with glowing rectangles is stronger than most of my Hinge dates.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
2 Apr. 2026
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The glowing hose creates a visible path that helps rescuers navigate thick smoke and find their way back to safety.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Shelly Cayette-Weston, along with the rest of everyone associated with the Charlotte Hornets, can’t stop beaming about the team’s success.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Apr. 2026
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Photos hang on her living room wall of her and her sons, holding each other, beaming.—
Jonaki Mehta,
NPR,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After 10 to 20 passes, repeat the same process on the ceramic polishing rods, if the sharpener has them.—
Jesse Raub,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
30 Mar. 2026
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The program acts almost like a navigation map for individuals intent on entering the sector, from polishing resumes to grasping industry dynamics.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In wet winters, the valleys beyond town awaken in color as sand verbena, desert sunflower, evening primrose and pincushion gather in brief, luminous blooms across the desert floor.—
Josh Jackson,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
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This velvety take on the trend has a luminous, eye-catching finish that shines bright on its own.—
Kara Jillian Brown,
InStyle,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The second narrative, the one that came later—with science fiction reinventing the robot as gleaming, futuristic, aspirational—built a future that, as imagined by European and American science fiction writers, was white.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
8 Apr. 2026
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His beans are on the menus of many top Bay Area restaurants, and a gleaming flagship store that opened in downtown Napa last week could be seen as a culmination of his 25 years of influence.—
Tara Duggan,
San Francisco Chronicle,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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My hands are almost rubbing [the ground] sometimes.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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The slightly higher cut helps prevent sneakers from rubbing your ankle or the top of your foot.—
Malia Griggs,
Glamour,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Currently, the planet appears practically full (93% sunlit); a tiny, dazzling gibbous disk.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
3 Apr. 2026
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Even though many of Meghan's recent appearances have shown off her gorgeous casual style, her red carpet appearances are still just as dazzling.—
Katherine J Igoe,
InStyle,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That distinction falls to Becky Shaw (Madeline Brewer), an office worker whom Max is set up with by Suzanna and her sweet but dull husband Andrew (Patrick Ball, radiating kindness).—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
7 Apr. 2026
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The eclipse won’t be visible from Earth — only from the Orion capsule — treating the astronauts to several minutes’ worth of views of the sun’s outermost, radiating atmosphere, the corona.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shining. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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