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gleam

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb gleam contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of gleam are flash, glimmer, glint, glisten, glitter, shimmer, and sparkle. While all these words mean "to send forth light," gleam suggests a steady light seen through an obscuring medium or against a dark background.

lights gleamed in the valley

When is flash a more appropriate choice than gleam?

While the synonyms flash and gleam are close in meaning, flash implies a sudden outburst of bright light.

lightning flashed

When might glimmer be a better fit than gleam?

While in some cases nearly identical to gleam, glimmer suggests a faint or wavering gleam.

a distant glimmering light

When could glint be used to replace gleam?

Although the words glint and gleam have much in common, glint implies a cold glancing light.

glinting steel

Where would glisten be a reasonable alternative to gleam?

The words glisten and gleam can be used in similar contexts, but glisten applies to the soft sparkle from a wet or oily surface.

glistening wet sidewalk

When is it sensible to use glitter instead of gleam?

The words glitter and gleam are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, glitter connotes a brilliant sparkling or gleaming.

glittering diamonds

When would shimmer be a good substitute for gleam?

In some situations, the words shimmer and gleam are roughly equivalent. However, shimmer means shining with a wavering light.

a shimmering satin dress

When can sparkle be used instead of gleam?

The meanings of sparkle and gleam largely overlap; however, sparkle suggests innumerable moving points of bright light.

the sparkling waters

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 gleam
Noun
On opening night, the soprano’s top notes blazed out with a cool gleam, but her lower and middle registers lacked the heft needed to punch through Strauss’s dense textures. Alex Ross, New Yorker, 19 May 2025 Yet beneath the gleam of champagne bars and five-star hotels, a current of mountain grit still flows. Spencer Elliott, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
Verb
Her spiky blond hair gleamed like steel quills in the stage lights. Allen Salkin, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2025 The 50 mm case, crown, and chain also draw the eye with gleaming 18-karat white gold. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 4 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for gleam
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gleam
Noun
  • The image also shows the glow of Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Houston to the northeast, with Torreón, Mexico, to the southwest.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
  • Now my house is awash with the LED glow of charging bulbs that are just waiting for the next power outage to do their trick.
    arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 10 July 2025
Verb
  • For many, Maine is a summer refuge—beaches with powdery sand and glinting grey-blue water intermingled with bucolic topography; mountains, lake houses.
    Caroline Reilly, Robb Report, 6 June 2025
  • Sunlight glints off the water with a Mediterranean shimmer.
    Alexandra Gillespie, AFAR Media, 23 June 2025
Noun
  • The cosmic duo will be visible for around two and a half hours before the glare of the rising sun hides the Pleiades from view.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 4 July 2025
  • With a full understanding about both the financial stakes and the glare of a national spotlight, Tucker has avoided the distractions that could have derailed his performance.
    Phil Rogers, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025
Verb
  • Earlier this year, Anthropic, an AI startup, flashed a big warning: AI could wipe out more than half of all entry-level white-collar jobs in the next one to five years.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2025
  • The Spy bag has since been spotted on celebrities such as Aubrey Plaza, Kelly Rowland, Rita Ora and Bianca Balti, while Rihanna and Bella Hadid, among others, have recently flashed vintage models.
    Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 3 July 2025
Noun
  • The tool’s powerful suction leaves your floors without a trace of dust thanks to a laser light that highlights tiny specks, and its 60-minute run time allows for extensive cleaning.
    Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 12 July 2025
  • Our view of the Summer Triangle will become all the more spectacular on the nights surrounding the new moon phase on July 24, at which time the bright ribbon of light from the Milky Way may be visible from dark sky areas, tumbling directly through the cosmic triangle.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 12 July 2025
Verb
  • For the June 27 ceremony, Kim wore a shimmering black glazed dress.
    Rachel Flynn, People.com, 8 July 2025
  • Playwright Richard Greenberg was the maestro of shimmering verbal arias.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
Verb
  • Top off each serving with club soda or sparkling water.
    Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 July 2025
  • Director Gordon Greenberg has marshalled an excellent cast of fearless and multitalented actors for this 2-1/2-hour play-within-a-play that sparkles and surprises at every turn.
    Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2025
Verb
  • Check out Alila Ventana Big Sur for rustic luxury where the lush forest meets the coastal cliffs Garland Ranch Regional Park – In Carmel Valley, Garland Ranch Regional Park offers a scenic setting for gazing at the twinkling constellations in the serenity of the surrounding Santa Lucia Mountains.
    Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
  • Fellow porters huffing their way up a hillside; the stars twinkling above the desert sand; the layered waves of Caroline Polachek’s staggeringly beautiful title song cresting over the horizon at just the right moment.
    David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 23 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Gleam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gleam. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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