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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 10 May 2026
Reality Check is a Herald series holding those in power to account and shining a light on their decisions.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 8 May 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
Plants add stunning texture and shining color to the garden with metallic, lavender-blue bracts surrounding flowers that stand erect on purple stems.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 10 May 2026
Reality Check is a Herald series holding those in power to account and shining a light on their decisions.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for shining
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shining
Adjective
-
Happy, glowing, ready-for-life me.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
-
The piece creates a gently glowing, romantic atmosphere that segues perfectly with an evening informed by the storied garden design of Northern Italy.—
Anna Grace Lee,
Vogue,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Mom had to be beaming after Gorajski’s performance Monday for the Thunderbolts in a 15-0 SouthWest Suburban Conference win over host Stagg in Palos Hiills.—
Tony Baranek,
Chicago Tribune,
12 May 2026
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In March 2025, for example, the company demonstrated its power-beaming tech at EverBank Stadium, home of the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars, in a test that successfully transmitted energy over the full 300-foot (90-meter) length of the football field.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
12 May 2026
Verb
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While rivals like the Tacoma and Colorado constantly reinvent themselves, Nissan tends to take the long road by refining, tweaking, and polishing instead of blowing everything up every few years.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
3 May 2026
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Various owners have taken the reins over the years, but all were committed to preserving the bar’s old-school character rather than polishing, upgrading, or updating it away.—
Skye Sherman,
Southern Living,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Beyond its luminous core, Messier 77 is also a highly active site of star formation.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
10 May 2026
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The Boot of Cortez, on the other hand, is 98 percent pure gold, and its rich, luminous hue exemplifies that composition.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The room now held a gleaming white loft bed, with a small den of executive function underneath.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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And just a year before, Spirit opened a gleaming new headquarters building at Dania Pointe, a restaurant and shopping district in South Broward.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Pettis took out a paper towel and began rubbing the paints together on the easel.—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
9 May 2026
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Also, avoid rubbing the scent onto your skin, as this degrades the fragrance.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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In the garden, bumblebees, hummingbirds, and butterflies can be found flitting among the dazzling blooms.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
10 May 2026
-
Experimental, playful and dazzling, the EGOT winner’s best fashion moments have featured at awards shows, red carpets and more.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
9 May 2026
Verb
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That required segmenting the coil and inserting electronics within it to keep it from radiating its energy away like an antenna.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Apr. 2026
-
On the ceiling, where the nave and transept intersect, there will be a depiction of the Holy Spirit as a dove with radiating light and flames.—
Victoria Le,
Oc Register,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shining. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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