1
as in to illumine
to supply with light
a floor lamp illuminates a living room rather nicely
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Relevance
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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
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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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Examples of illuminate in a Sentence
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Recent Examples on the Web
Held along the river Saryu, the event saw thousands of volunteers illuminate the city in a captivating display that stretched across almost one mile, setting a new Guinness World Record and surpassing last year's total of 2.2 million lamps.
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Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
It is predicted to peak on November 12, when the moon will be about 82 percent illuminated.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 31 Oct. 2024
And for the next two nights, the Coliseum’s peristyle will be illuminated in blue light.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
The full moon in Taurus on November 15 illuminates your fourth house of home, which encourages you to make necessary changes to your living situation or emotional foundations in order to move forward later on.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for illuminate 
Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
It is predicted to peak on November 12, when the moon will be about 82 percent illuminated.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 31 Oct. 2024
And for the next two nights, the Coliseum’s peristyle will be illuminated in blue light.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
The full moon in Taurus on November 15 illuminates your fourth house of home, which encourages you to make necessary changes to your living situation or emotional foundations in order to move forward later on.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for illuminate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illuminate
Verb
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The bar was illumined by candles and an uplit line of mostly esoteric liquors along the full-length mirror against the back wall.Lauren Groff, The Atlantic, 28 Sep. 2024
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In a room illumined by the light of a few candles, a group of women with veils over their faces conducts a séance.Rhoda Feng, ARTnews.com, 9 Aug. 2024
Verb
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Elena Ferrante explains that the earthquake was an exterior thing.Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
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Abramovitch explained how Swift could have been an exception to this rule because her career in both country and pop music gives her fans on both sides of the American political divide.Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Future of Filmmaking In an era where new technologies and business models present opportunity and uncertainty in equal measure, the inaugural summit illustrated that a changing industry is still rooted in humanity's love for cinema.Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 4 Nov. 2024
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The videos, and the furious reaction from Trump supporters, illustrate two key facets of the US presidential campaign.Jason Ma, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
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His experience highlighted the critical role of leadership and HR in the success of a large-scale franchise.Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
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The analyst also highlighted Fiserv’s other strategic initiatives, such as expanding its Clover portfolio, offering services to enterprise merchants, extending more real-time payments, expanding into new verticals and markets, as well as partnering with major clients.TipRanks.com Staff, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Lara wrote that football players were aware of the district’s policy because all students have been educated about hate speech.Krissy Waite, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
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In his view, modern artists weren’t educated or broad-minded enough to break new ground.Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The tree lighting, led by Santa and local dignitaries, will follow.Cathy Kozlowicz, Journal Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2024
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With confetti colors and an appealing blocky design (buffered by rounded edges), these statement pieces are easy to clean and light enough to be moved from playroom to patio without a hitch.Shoko Wanger, Architectural Digest, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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DiSalvo clarified that her challenges were independent of her affiliation with the group.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
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Earlier this year, the Michigan Supreme Court clarified a previous ruling to say that owners can make a claim on leftover proceeds from tax foreclosure sales retroactively, so before 2020.Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Sezzle acknowledges the impact of macroeconomic conditions on consumer spending and credit risk, emphasizing the importance of effective risk management and sustainable business practices.Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024
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Interviews and discussions ran longer and looser, and since the set itself was so quiet, these talky segments emphasized the unsettling absence of background noise.Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Illuminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illuminate. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
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