as in glowing
giving off or reflecting much light
the shining moon formed a nice backdrop for our outdoor concert
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 shining
Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
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
Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 15 May 2026
The sun is shining, and the rest of your lives are ahead of you.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for shining
Adjective
For a brief shining moment, that looked like a good bet, as gas prices rose to nearly $10 per million BTUs in mid-2022.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
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
Verb
With Wolders by her side, Hepburn traveled everywhere from Ecuador to Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Sudan and Vietnam, shining light on suffering children everywhere.
—Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 15 May 2026
The sun is shining, and the rest of your lives are ahead of you.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for shining
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shining
Adjective
-
The Sunshine State is a glowing example of fiscal responsibility with a reputation for keeping taxes low and the budget balanced, securing a stable long-term future.—
Nicole Huyer,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 May 2026
-
Neither was a glowing example of how to win in the playoffs, but the Sabres deserve full marks for sticking with it and taking over the game.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Frame after frame highlighting her boy's beaming smile.—
Juli McDonald,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
-
The Picasso face beaming above a headless classical statue was delightful.—
Wendy Goodman,
Curbed,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Slow down before polishing the life out of your point.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
23 May 2026
-
Rolls-Royce artisans later sealed each piece beneath ten layers of lacquer before sanding and polishing the surfaces to the mirror-like finish expected of the brand.—
Matthew MacConnell,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
Ecstatic catharsis is her métier, and Animal Wisdom is luminous with it.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
20 May 2026
-
Included in the exhibition are Sea Idyll (1909), a luminous beach scene; Louis Comfort Tiffany (1911), a portrait of the famed American designer in his Long Island garden; and Señora de Sorolla in a Spanish Mantilla (1902), an intimate portrait of the artist’s wife.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
The coaster with a max speed of 66 mph took more than 20,000 hours to construct and at least 9,000 gallons of white paint for its gleaming appearance.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
-
The galaxy's heart shines brightly in the image, with gleaming rays of light radiating from its center while gas and dust swirls around.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
This is also linked to a change known as Darier’s sign, which is a common finding in mastocytosis, where rubbing a skin lesion causes redness or swelling.—
Suchandrima Bhowmik,
Health,
15 May 2026
-
If one berry develops mold, spores can spread quickly, and moisture, warmth, and friction from the berries rubbing together can accelerate the spread.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
First baseman Michael Busch finished the play by reaching out and snaring Hoerner’s dazzling throw to complete the highlight and nab the speedy Salazar for the out.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
23 May 2026
-
The dazzling proposal piece and her other jewels were returned to her family upon her death in 1982.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
The galaxy's heart shines brightly in the image, with gleaming rays of light radiating from its center while gas and dust swirls around.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
19 May 2026
-
However, sharp or radiating pain, numbness, weakness or symptoms that persist beyond 48 to 72 hours should not be dismissed as ordinary soreness.—
Dr. Kęstutis Braziulis,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shining. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
