IRRADIATE Synonyms: 87 Similar and Opposite Words

irradiate

verb

i-ˈrā-dē-ˌāt

Definition of irradiate

as in to illumine

to supply with light the light from a galaxy of flashing signs irradiates the heart and soul of Las Vegas

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to radiate

to throw or give off irradiating an aura of supreme confidence on the playing field

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 irradiate The sterile flies are irradiated and released en masse, designed to blanket a region experiencing an outbreak. — Evan Bush, NBC news, 7 June 2026 Vector control districts serving Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties have irradiated males and released them in recent years. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026 His team added soil that had been irradiated almost five years earlier, and then closed the circuit. — Siddhant Pusdekar, Quanta Magazine, 1 June 2026 Trump’s obsession with gold has led his critics to compare him to the Bond villain Goldfinger, a bullion dealer who hatches a plan to irradiate the gold in Fort Knox in order to increase the value of his own supply. — Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 4 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for irradiate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for irradiate

Verb

Fantastic, illumined by periodic excursions into surrealism, as when the crew of a mysterious UFO boards a transpacific Kahuna Airlines jet midflight.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Geraldine walked over to Felix and Jane’s for fish soup, through long autumn shadows in the park, haze rising like smoke from the grass, illumined by the low sun.

— Tessa Hadley, New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2026

Definition of illumine

Verb

Some kids come into this life and catch all the breaks and start making money and going places and radiating confidence and functionality and the world opens right up to them.

— George Saunders, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
For plants rooted in the ground, cover them with frost cloths, blankets, or tarps to trap the heat radiating from the soil.

— Ahmad Bajjey, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of radiate

Verb

The book covers an enormous chunk of British screen history (1896 to 2001), with each chapter uncovering and illuminating the careers of early Black screen pioneers.

— Zac Ntim, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Dinner was served family-style at two long tables illuminated by hundreds of candles.

— Alexandra Macon, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of illuminate

Verb

Copper atoms help verify the record intensity To check the intensity independently, the team directed the X-ray pulses onto a copper foil and examined the light emitted by its atoms.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
On the coast, the air stays warmer and thinner as the ocean emits the heat it’s stored through the summer.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of emit

Verb

If Mick hadn’t come cruising into that playground, lights off?

— George Saunders, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
Rather than lighting an entire room, try task lighting like reading lamps, under-the-cabinet light strips, and desk lamps that illuminate a workspace.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of light

Verb

Because of its proportional representation system – voters cast one vote for a national party-list – even the largest parties rarely win more than 35 seats, and Israel has always had coalition governments.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 18 Oct. 2026
The glare cast by the 74%-lit waxing gibbous moon will hide fainter shooting stars for much of the night.

— Anthony Wood, Space.com, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of cast

Verb

McGregor offers a welcome counterbalance as Brooke, whose general disposition emanates from her relationship with her father, even as it’s hobbled by troubles the script pinpoints with delicacy.

— Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
But both emanate from something his opponents have never quite grasped.

— Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of emanate

Verb

The Eagles released a statement Thursday about the medical condition of their quarterback in announcing his looming absence, saying Hurts had been receiving treatment for nearly a week and even flew to and from London with it.

— Ryan Morik OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Electrons from outer shells then fell into those vacancies, releasing energy as X-rays.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of release

Browse Nearby Words

irony

irradiate

irradiated

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“Irradiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irradiate. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of irradiate

verb

Example Sentences

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