illuminates

verb

present tense third-person singular of illuminate
1
as in illumines
to supply with light a floor lamp illuminates a living room rather nicely

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in explains
to make plain or understandable the museum's exhibit on the refraction of light really illuminated the subject for us

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in illustrates
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 emphasizes
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in educates
to provide (someone) with moral or spiritual understanding how man is illuminated by a higher spirit

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 illuminates With her clear sense of purpose and self-belief, Chase illuminates our own generative and creative capacities, inspiring and delighting in equal measure. — Ruth Negga, Time, 30 Sep. 2026 The Aries Full Moon illuminates your private 12th house, bringing an old emotion, habit, memory, or attachment closer to the surface. — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026 Each such pattern illuminates a fragment of the absolute Galois group’s structure. — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026 Organized in collaboration with the Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna (MAK), the Jewish Museum’s latest exhibition illuminates how these women became central to the Wiener Werkstätte’s commercial success in Austria and beyond. — Stephanie Sporn, Vogue, 20 Sep. 2026 When the traffic light turns red, the blue light illuminates simultaneously. — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2026 However, as the title suggests, the process of wrapping up his affairs illuminates political, professional and personal contours previously unseen, in remarkably surprising ways. — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026 Koopala’s rechargeable, stick-on task light illuminates tricky spots around the home that could use extra light without the hassle of cords or hardwiring. — Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2026 The remainder of the moon will take on a reddish-brown hue because sunlight bends around Earth and illuminates the lunar surface indirectly. — Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 27 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illuminates
  1. lights
  2. explains
  3. illustrates
  4. emphasizes
  5. educates
  6. clarifies
  7. highlights
  8. inspires
Verb
  • Alex Consani walks into a room and lights the whole thing up.
    — Time, Time, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Moments later, Andrew enters the home and lights a pipe before meeting the same fate.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of lights
Verb
  • As well as hearing the audio of the Princess, the three-part doc series explains how and when they were recorded, and the extraordinary lengths Diana went to in order to ensure her story could be heard.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
  • As Madison explains, picking her first post-Oscar gig definitely stressed her out, but her desire to grow her career and range (a la Cate Blanchett and Isabelle Huppert) helped push her to take on the project.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of explains
Verb
  • Under Armour's operating income, which illustrates its underlying profitability, turned negative in fiscal 2025 and 2026.
    — Ryan Baker, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2026
  • More broadly, the expansion illustrates how advanced technology, industrial investment and acquisition reform are increasingly interconnected in modern defence planning.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of illustrates
Verb
  • Child Mind Institute guidance on communicating with teenagers emphasizes listening, validating feelings and creating space where kids feel safe speaking up.
    — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Intended to inform fashion, beauty, interiors and other consumer industries, the palette emphasizes shades that can change character through different combinations and materials.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of emphasizes
Verb
  • The organization educates veterans about underutilized resources and opportunities.
    — Monique John, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Eton College, located in the English county of Berkshire a stone’s throw from Windsor Castle, educates boys aged 13 to 18 and accepts around 270 students per academic year.
    — Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of educates
Verb
  • The director clarifies that the moment came up organically in filming.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The final version — which has Beutner’s approval — clarifies that small schools or small school districts can pool their money to share an arts teacher, provided that every school gets the additional arts instruction.
    — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of clarifies
Verb
  • The Fortune Change the World list highlights the companies tackling societal and environmental issues as part of their core business function.
    — Sam Forsdick, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The village's pedestrian-only strip weaves through small shops, restaurants, and boutiques, and there's a Naval Museum housed in a 19th-century captain’s mansion that highlights the island’s maritime history—and is worth a visit.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of highlights
Verb
  • There is a near-identical robot to be found at Jalsa, an Indian restaurant in my Brooklyn neighborhood, where its presence inspires the same frisson of novelty as a hands-off steering wheel.
    — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • This inspires Other Mommy to gruesomely kill Frank in front of Bela, including blowing his head up in an outrageous explosion of blood.
    — William Earl, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of inspires

Browse Nearby Words

illuminated
illuminates
illuminati
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Cite this Entry

“Illuminates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illuminates. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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