ray 1 of 2

noun

Definition of raynext
1
as in beam
a narrow sharply defined line of light radiating from an object two red eyes reflected in the ray of light from the flashlight

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2
as in glimmer
a very small amount the tapping sound ceased, extinguishing the last ray of hope that the trapped miners were still alive

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ray

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to shine
to emit rays of light klieg lights were raying against the nighttime sky at the Hollywood premiere

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to radiate
to extend outwards from or as if from a central point laugh wrinkles rayed out from the corners of the old man's eyes

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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 ray
Noun
There are some crazy laser rays, goofy wipe transitions, robots who are menaces to society, to be sure. — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2026 Essentially, hackers disguise malware as ripped Blu-ray releases or other legitimate video versions of the movie, and once downloaded, users get infected. — Alan Henry, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
Scientists have long grouped sharks together as a natural evolutionary unit, meaning every shark species shares a common ancestor that rays and skates do not. — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026 The PlayStation 5 Pro is a more powerful spin on the vanilla PS5, thanks to ray tracing and AI upscaling that give games a visual boost. — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ray
  1. beam
  2. glimmer
  3. shine
  4. radiate
  5. splash
  6. glow
  7. speck
  8. hint
Noun
  • That’s harder than trying to spot a firefly right next to someone flashing their high-beams at you.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The antlers grew off to the sides of the deer’s head instead of going upward, which contributed to the wide inside spread and long beams.
    — Richard P. Smith, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of beam
Noun
  • The polls offer a glimmer of hope for Democrats and their voters, who hope that the party can shrink the Republican majority in Congress – or capture it – this midterm season.
    — Emily R. Condon, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
  • While more muted in color than her later looks, the outfit shows an early glimmer of her future full-on sparkle.
    — Kelsey Stiegman, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of glimmer
Verb
  • For instance, maybe there’s a member of your team who would shine in a slightly different role, or perhaps there’s someone who needs just a bit more feedback to perform at their best.
    — Sam Talya, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The lefty, who shined in the Yankees’ rotation before suffering a flexor strain, could also factor into the bullpen.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of shine
Verb
  • This fall, hair trends are all about natural-looking, dimensional blondes that radiate understated luxury.
    — Kat Suico, InStyle, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Youth and parents linked their loss of care to spikes in anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts, with stress radiating through entire families.
    — Dr. SJ Job, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of radiate
Noun
  • This was far from Towns’ first public splash in the sports card space.
    — Larry Holder, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The splash screen that appears when loading up Orbitals, showing Shapefarm and publisher Kepler Interactive’s logos, is soaked in retro-futuristic bright neon like Apple’s back in the 80s.
    — George Yang, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of splash
Verb
  • Still, given the national attention given last winter to the air conditioning not working properly in an Angel Stadium weight room, Neto said the evaluation from the Rams’ locker room was glowing.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The best body scrubs are a cheat code to achieving healthy, glowing skin fast.
    — Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of glow
Noun
  • Calcium shows up as bright white specks on the coronary artery images.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Pulse a few times, until crumbs range in size from specks to peas.
    — Leah Eskin, Midwest Living, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of speck
Noun
  • The cuisine was also noteworthy, a generous choice of cocktails, wines, and cuisine with hints of contemporary English inspiration, while avoiding being British stodgy.
    — Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Warsh is unlikely to reveal his approach before the task forces report but at Jackson Hole the whole world will be looking for hints regarding his plans to reshape the Fed.
    — Paul Wachtel, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of hint

Phrases Containing ray

Browse Nearby Words

rawness
ray
rayed
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Cite this Entry

“Ray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ray. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ray

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