SPOTLIGHTS Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

spotlights 1 of 2

noun

plural of spotlight

as in limelights

the center of public attention reality show contestants who become addicted to the spotlight

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

back burners

spotlights

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of spotlight

as in focuses

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 spotlights

Noun

But if the building appears to predict a series of high-tech galleries, tricked out with holograms, audio spotlights or mixed reality rooms, the Lucas museum is surprisingly old-school. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 The 102-minute presentation spotlights window washers, bankers, building security staff and first responders, who share chilling first accounts, some for the first time. — Kalia Richardson, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026 Gatherings can include community spotlights, guest speakers and discussions of participants’ photographs. — Kansas City Star, 24 Aug. 2026 And as a guy in power armor, Iron Man straddles the line of being a mecha, but his Marvel Tokon design spotlights Gundam and Tekkaman influences. — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 11 Aug. 2026 This week's quiz spotlights summer escapes and remarkable love stories. — Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026 There are plenty of seasonal offers and discount opportunities popping up throughout the year, whether during holiday sales, in the form of special destination spotlights, or as the seasons change. — Jamie Spain, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 July 2026 The room, finished in Domingue lime paint, is illuminated by a 1950s Isamu Noguchi Akari floor lamp and surface-mount spotlights by Lucifer Lighting. — Punch Hutton, Architectural Digest, 24 July 2026 Harbaugh’s hiring thrust the Giants into back-to-back exciting prime time spotlights in Weeks 1 and 2 of this NFL season. — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 17 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spotlights

Noun

Trump’s tariffs on Canada and Mexico in 2025 and his escalating trade war with Canada this year have turned the countries’ attentions inward, onto disputes among the three partners, at precisely the moment when the threat is coming from the outside.

— Chad P. Bown, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2026
Each new spot is an imaginative wonderland and will captivate the attentions of little ones, and parents.

— Randy Myers, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of attentions

Verb

Saturday’s first day of the Emmys saw awards presented to unscripted series, variety shows and specials shows and variety specials, while Sunday’s show focuses on dramas, comedies and limited series.

— Andrew Dalton, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
Instead, Tehran’s new leverage focuses on the strait that is crucial to global oil and natural gas shipments and was seen as an international waterway before the war began.

— Toqa Ezzidin, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of focuses

Verb

The injury to young winger Matt Savoie highlights a problem for the team.

— Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
The change highlights a global race for alternative energy sources as Middle East conflict slows oil from the region – a race that has major repercussions for the price of gas, oil, cooking fuel and other energy for consumers around the world.

— Michelle Velez, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of highlights

Verb

One of the sources said the GSA put out a public request for lease proposals that identifies 18 potential locations, requiring space for at least 10 courtrooms.

— Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026
SheThePeople similarly identifies homemade bread baking as one of the slow-paced, hands-on hobbies gaining attention among Gen Z.

— Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of identifies

Verb

In a squad that features Kylian Mbappe, Brahim Diaz, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr, Diomande can work his way into the first XI rather than arrive with the responsibility of solving a glaring problem.

— David Ornstein, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
The nicest of the quartet, Springfield features a large clubhouse, a beautiful practice area with an oversized putting green and a challenging 6,906-yard course that is hilly, woody and will ask you to hit lots of precise shots.

— Langston Wertz Jr, Charlotte Observer, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of features

Browse Nearby Words

spotlighting

spotlights

spot-on

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Style

“Spotlights.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spotlights. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of spotlights

noun

verb

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