enlighten
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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Some of those eagerly sought to enlighten their charges, while a few others grew to see – or claimed to see – an unbridgeable chasm between the ivory tower and mass cultural aspiration.
From Salon ● Apr. 19, 2026
When you get a varied body of work, it can enlighten your own life in a way, and that’s a great feeling.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 17, 2026
So can you enlighten us as to the great wisdom Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito share in their own concurrences?
From Slate ● Jun. 18, 2025
“The truth is, you are either here to enlighten or discourage.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 7, 2025
He said he would take it upon himself to enlighten each of them enough so that they wouldn’t allow themselves to be used.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
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There's not a lot of focus on music that enlightens people, and that carries over to other products as well.
From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2023
This is her place to retreat inward with her sheep to create prose that enlightens us and products that feed us.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 16, 2023
The deeply felt elegance of Dandridge’s rendition of “Send in the Clowns” enlightens, even if belatedly, Hayden’s Fredrik, who grows in gravitas and, therefore, appeal.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 2023
Patrick Carone, a former editor at Abercrombie’s quarterly magazine, enlightens viewers on the concept of a mall: “Imagine, like, a search engine that you could walk through.”
From New York Times ● Apr. 18, 2022
“You are like he was,” Keith enlightens me, “and just like him, you were most likely to die the same way—a quarter of what you could have been....”
From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak
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It doesn’t matter how enlightened the people are.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
It’s no crime to give even the most enlightened reader a leg up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
You know, if everybody has the same idea and the same belief, we’re never going to learn anything, we’re never going to be enlightened to anything beyond ourselves.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
He’s on the board of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and received its David Rockefeller Award, given to an “individual from the business community who exemplifies enlightened generosity.”
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
John Quincy’s network of European sources also urged enlightened procrastination.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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Nevertheless, it’s an enlightening read in light of how dramatically war has changed in the last two-and-a-half centuries.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
"Together, these records offer a more complex and enlightening account of the Revolution, showing how its consequences were felt far beyond the Thirteen Colonies," Cunningham added.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026
But the Glass year is already officially underway with two curiously enlightening projects this month.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
With six politicians vying for your attention, these debates can be noisy and argumentative, but they can also be enlightening and influential.
From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026
I am writing this book in the hope of enlightening readers about the journey an African-American takes in having to grow up and live under the laws and traditions of oppression.
From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals
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Vocabulary lists containing enlighten
"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 14–18
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Ronald Reagan, "Tear Down This Wall" (1987)
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The Titan's Curse
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