as in world
a huge physical or conceptual distance
my sister and I are close in age, but personality-wise, there are light-years between us
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Recent Examples of light-year
Their explanation, detailed in a paper published this week in the journal Nature, indicates the answer resides near a distant, young star about the same size as our sun.
EC 53 is only one of thousands of protostars forming inside the Serpens Nebula about 1,300 light-years from Earth.
—
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 22 Jan. 2026
Betelgeuse’s reddish tint can be spotted gleaming from the Orion constellation, situated about 650 light-years away from Earth.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 20 Jan. 2026
What seems light-years away is just around the corner.
—Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 20 Jan. 2026
The beehive is one of the closest clusters to Earth (approximately 600 light-years away) and one of the youngest (around 600 to 700 million years old).
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for light-year
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 22 Jan. 2026
Betelgeuse’s reddish tint can be spotted gleaming from the Orion constellation, situated about 650 light-years away from Earth.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 20 Jan. 2026
What seems light-years away is just around the corner.
—Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 20 Jan. 2026
The beehive is one of the closest clusters to Earth (approximately 600 light-years away) and one of the youngest (around 600 to 700 million years old).
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for light-year
Recent Examples of Synonyms for light-year
Noun
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In a world full of noise, his images ask for something quiet.—
Derek James,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
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In Remy Bumppo Theatre Company’s new production of Henrik Ibsen’s 1891 play, directed by Marti Lyons, the design team takes this line to heart, using a monochrome purple palette to represent Hedda’s claustrophobic world (scenic design by Joe Schermoly).—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The Phantom Menace Bring the galaxy far, far away into your home (and onto your desk or bookcase) by reuniting six of the main characters of The Phantom Menace with this 732-piece set.—
Brittany Anas,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Feb. 2026
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But this seething primordial soup—the stuff of future galaxies, stars, planets and people—only lasted a few microseconds.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Light-year.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/light-year. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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