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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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 ray
Noun
Last year’s Welcome to Fun City is an absolutely essential Blu-ray set, comprising around 200 theatrical trailers and TV spots of New York City films from the 1960s through the 1980s, sourced from brand-new scans of original materials. — Air Mail, 10 Oct. 2026 Astronomers investigating mysterious flashes of X-rays believe that these blasts could stem from collisions between neutron stars, the events that forge elements like gold, silver, and platinum. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 9 Oct. 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
  • One mirror focused the X-rays vertically, while the other focused them horizontally, concentrating the beam into a spot measuring just 180 × 330 nanometers.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, Mickelson noted that every ceiling in the theater is different — a coffered ceiling with hexagonal panels gives way to plaster beams designed and painted to look like wood.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of beam
Noun
  • Curt Cignetti has not just provided a championship mindset for the passionate fans that were sitting through days of blowouts and small glimmers of hope in past years.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Still, Crow—the ever-optimist, as her body of work proves—clings on to the glimmers of hope from leaders of the world who do show us the best parts of humanity.
    — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of glimmer
Verb
  • After Jones shined during his first start, the Gators’ quarterback decision will be scrutinized and dissected, fueling two weeks of endless conjecture leading up to the Georgia game.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The offense continues to shine with the one-two punch of Hawkins and Cook.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of shine
Verb
  • The surrounding countryside, by comparison, was littered with large numbers of trees that were toppled as the shock waves produced by the exploding asteroid high above radiated downward.
    — Micah Hanks, Space.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The film’s focus on the strange and unprecedented power dynamics in an industry that’s hurtling forward at all costs radiated off-screen as well.
    — Hayden Field, The Verge, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of radiate
Noun
  • More than a splash of color Perhaps the more interesting possibility lies beyond multi-color printing altogether.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
  • A touch of gold and a splash of paisley break up a powerful palette.
    — Ciarra Lorren Zatorski, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of splash
Verb
  • Their living structures glowed at night a hundred miles up and down the coast.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
  • But the phone’s first public testers have given glowing feedback.
    — Andrew R. Chow, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of glow
Noun
  • The source was generally in good condition, but mold spots and dense clusters of small white specks required careful treatment.
    — Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Breakouts can look like milder, painless white bumps or dark specks known as whiteheads and blackheads, or more painful red bumps and deeper cysts — a mark of cystic acne.
    — Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of speck
Noun
  • That question motivated Clark to better understand aging among plants and animals and to look for hints to extend humans' lifespan.
    — KYLE MELNICK THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Until this glorious fall Saturday afternoon gave way to the hints of early evening, Indiana football — once the losingest team in all of college football — hadn’t tasted their ordinary helping of defeat for 666 days.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 2026.

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