illuminate
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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What, if anything, about this documentary may help illuminate a few things for people, regardless of their political leanings, as we approach the midterms?
From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026
Papatsanis used ultrviolet light to illuminate mushrooms known as "beautiful bonnets" growing from a decaying log on the lower slopes of Mount Olympus in Greece.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
But this year may also illuminate broader forces that continue to resonate long after votes are counted.
From Slate ● Oct. 2, 2026
She’s good at these little details that illuminate character, and isn’t afraid of goofy phrases that make you wonder if she’s playing it straight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Unfortunately, the sword’s glow didn’t illuminate much beyond the hole itself.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
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A laser illuminates a cell, causing tiny structures inside it to scatter some of the incoming light.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
As business leaders wrestle with their AI implementations, a new report from Pew Research Center illuminates how ordinary citizens feel about the technology.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
It’s worth thinking about because it illuminates the principles that we should be applying to questions of governance in this country.
From Slate ● Jul. 31, 2026
With an incredible cast, including Lesley Manville, Kevin Doyle and Lorraine Ashbourne, it is deeply moving drama that illuminates the personal price of social divisions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026
A flash of light illuminates them both for an instant, and then every player is alerted that our Artifact is now in Hammie’s hands.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
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Here, Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton passes the illuminated Sphere in 2025.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
The illuminated exhaust plumes were visible across the eastern United States, giving observers a remarkable view of the rocket's journey into space.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026
Residents across the UK were left stunned as the sky was illuminated by the spectacular colours of the Northern Lights on Friday and Saturday evenings.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Thankfully, AI has illuminated what colleges and universities must do—namely, what AI can’t do.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
I kept thinking how funny, this dark ride to the underworld, the tunnel illuminated by Shell Oil, Burger King.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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It is Mungiu’s sharpest and most illuminating maneuver.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
Nobel Prize-winning American researcher Karl Deisseroth is a psychiatrist, neuroscientist and bioengineer who has spent more than two decades illuminating the workings of the brain to unlock its mysteries.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
Rather than behaving like a lamp illuminating everything around it, the jet acts more like a concentrated beam that causes gas to glow along its path.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026
They broke into cheers and applause, cheered again when the eclipse ended, and once more an hour later when the sun set, a burnished ocher illuminating Léon’s cathedral.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
His fingers flew as he typed in his password, the blue-white screen of the laptop illuminating his pale face.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
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Vocabulary lists containing illuminate
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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Let There Be Light: Lum and Luc
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 4
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