1
as in to illumine
to supply with light
a floor lamp illuminates a living room rather nicely
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to explain
to make plain or understandable
the museum's exhibit on the refraction of light really illuminated the subject for us
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3
as in to illustrate
to supplement with pictorial matter for the purpose of explanation or decoration
no one knows for sure the identity of the artist who illuminated that medieval manuscript so beautifully
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to highlight
to indicate the importance of by centering attention on
the results of the statewide testing illuminated the need to place more focus on instruction in math and science
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to educate
to provide (someone) with moral or spiritual understanding
how man is illuminated by a higher spirit
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of illuminate
Japan contributes three projects illuminating marginalized youth lives, with projects from directors Shiraishi Kazuya, Fujita Naoya, and Zhang Yaoyuan.
—
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 July 2025
Turn any bird bath into an elevated water fountain with a $14 solar pump that has nearly 12,000 perfect ratings, or illuminate your yard with ground lights that come out to less than $3 each.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 July 2025
With the water rapidly rising, the campers spent the night on the second floor, illuminated by flashlights.
—Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 12 July 2025
The legends are shine through, enabling the backlights to clearly illuminate each keycap.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for illuminate
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 July 2025
Turn any bird bath into an elevated water fountain with a $14 solar pump that has nearly 12,000 perfect ratings, or illuminate your yard with ground lights that come out to less than $3 each.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 July 2025
With the water rapidly rising, the campers spent the night on the second floor, illuminated by flashlights.
—Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 12 July 2025
The legends are shine through, enabling the backlights to clearly illuminate each keycap.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for illuminate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illuminate
Verb
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Rev 21:10), an ark of salvation sailing through the waters of history and a beacon that illumines the dark nights of this world.—
Daniel Burke,
NPR,
9 May 2025
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The lighting illumines each river in brilliantly bright backdrop colors.—
Mark Swed,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Police officials will explain how the new police drones can be remotely deployed and piloted toward the scene of an incident from docks placed across the city.—
Cameron Knight,
The Enquirer,
26 July 2025
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Malone explained that over time, however, your brain adapts by adding more adenosine receptors, which makes caffeine less effective at the same dose.—
Mira Miller,
Verywell Health,
25 July 2025
Verb
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Harper’s frustrations, though, seemingly illustrated the divide between the MLB Players Association and Manfred, a deeply experienced labor lawyer who’s now in his third term as commissioner.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
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This illustrates the importance of using your logo as your marketing tool, not just as an identifier.—
Zaheer Dodhia,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
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This case study highlights the value of using local knowledge to design for local markets.—
Oludolapo Makinde,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
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The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) highlights how sleep deficiency, on the other hand, impairs these abilities and is linked to emotional issues, depression, and risky behaviors—especially in children and teens.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 July 2025
Verb
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The material contained on this site is intended to inform, entertain and educate the reader and in no way represents an inducement to gamble legally or illegally or any sort of professional advice.—
Kirby Adams,
The Courier-Journal,
30 July 2025
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The local chamber, with its nearly 500 business partners, is among the top 10 in size of all LGBTQ chambers nationwide, and Cannon helps connect, educate and advocate its members.—
Lily Kepner,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Verb
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Earlier this week, McIntyre lit into Scott with some NSFW criticisms of the rapper, a sign that WWE’s relationship with Scott was on the ropes.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
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However, the set up casts light far beyond the highway, extending onto beaches even 12 miles away, including Little St. Simons and Sapelo.—
Julianna Bragg,
CNN Money,
26 July 2025
Verb
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This mindset sharpens execution, clarifies your narrative and aligns your team around value creation.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
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Mulford clarified the board vote did not approve an AI plan.—
Edward McKinnon,
Arkansas Online,
25 July 2025
Verb
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Both organizations emphasized improvements made to welfare systems and reporting procedures since 2016, when Endemol merged with Shine, and again in 2020 when Banijay acquired Endemol Shine.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
14 July 2025
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That said, many policymakers have emphasized taking a wait and see approach to monetary policy in the coming months as the economic impact of government policy plays out.—
Simon Moore,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Illuminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illuminate. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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