the Milky Way

noun

1
: a broad band of light that can be seen in the night sky and that is caused by the light of a very large number of faint stars
2
: the galaxy in which we live that contains the stars that make up the Milky Way

Examples of the Milky Way in a Sentence

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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.
The harvest moon and planets will appear in Idaho’s night sky during the month, along with the Milky Way galaxy. — Alexiah Syrai Olsen, Idaho Statesman, 3 Sep. 2026 Though the supermassive black hole of the Milky Way, Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), isn't currently involved in a rpTDE, it is orbited by many rapid stars. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Besides taking in the beauty of the Milky Way core, visible just after sunset toward the southwest, travelers can also try spotting the Andromeda Galaxy (M31). — Michael D'estries, Travel + Leisure, 1 Sep. 2026 Called the Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey, this project will focus on a rather narrow band of the Milky Way’s center, a region that’s roughly eight full moons in the Earth’s night sky in size. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for the Milky Way

Rhymes for the Milky Way

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Browse Nearby Words

the milk of human kindness
the Milky Way
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Cite this Entry

“The Milky Way.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20Milky%20Way. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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