SPOTLIGHTS Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

spotlights 1 of 2

noun

plural of spotlight

as in limelights

the center of public attention reality show contestants who become addicted to the spotlight

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

back burners

spotlights

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of spotlight

as in focuses

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 spotlights

Noun

And as a guy in power armor, Iron Man straddles the line of being a mecha, but his Marvel Tokon design spotlights Gundam and Tekkaman influences. — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 11 Aug. 2026 The dotted centers of the doodle-looking flowers were instead clusters of spotlights that could point in different directions. — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 3 Aug. 2026 This week's quiz spotlights summer escapes and remarkable love stories. — Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026 There are plenty of seasonal offers and discount opportunities popping up throughout the year, whether during holiday sales, in the form of special destination spotlights, or as the seasons change. — Jamie Spain, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 July 2026 The room, finished in Domingue lime paint, is illuminated by a 1950s Isamu Noguchi Akari floor lamp and surface-mount spotlights by Lucifer Lighting. — Punch Hutton, Architectural Digest, 24 July 2026 Harbaugh’s hiring thrust the Giants into back-to-back exciting prime time spotlights in Weeks 1 and 2 of this NFL season. — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 17 July 2026 Nosferatu spotlights wet, dewy lilac, one of those early spring blooms that perfumers often use to emulate the smell of rain. — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 15 July 2026 Bright spotlights lit the signing table donned with the presidential seal. — Jarrell Dillard, Washington Post, 10 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spotlights

Noun

But this is not a restaurant built for restraint; turn your attentions to Les Grands, a selection of jumbo desserts, each big enough to feed a quorum.

— Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 14 June 2026
The flirty attentions of handsome fellow student Henry (Nate Mann) — an adult, like everyone else in the class — don’t hurt either.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 June 2026

Definition of attentions

Verb

Roman said the question will be if the defense focuses on their own psychiatric experts right away, or Clancy's friends and family to humanize her to the jurors.

— Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
One of Thrive’s subsidiaries, Thrive Eternal, focuses on sports acquisitions, purchasing and selling a stake in the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies before acquiring stakes in the Miami Heat and MLB’s San Francisco Giants, among others.

— Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of focuses

Verb

Executive chef Brendan Mica highlights the best from local waters on seafood-centric lunch and dinner menus.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Aug. 2026
Summary Hugging Face's latest report highlights a rapidly expanding community distribution layer for open models, converting raw weights into runnable formats like GGUF.

— Janakiram MSV, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of highlights

Verb

From names like ChatGPT and Gemini to Meta AI, Perplexity, and even Grok, the report identifies which chatbots are the most privacy-friendly and transparent in their practices and which are the worst offenders.

— Alan Henry, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026
If a patient identifies a clinical trial at a viable location and wants to be considered, the patient should contact the trial recruiters directly and ask them, Balch said.

— Michelle Andrews, Miami Herald, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of identifies

Verb

Balancing functionality with the brand’s house codes, the bag features two spacious compartments and a zippered one in the center.

— Talia Abbas, Vogue, 17 Aug. 2026
The trial set to begin Tuesday in federal court in Oakland, California, features four of the states as plaintiffs — California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of features

Browse Nearby Words

spotlighting

spotlights

spot-on

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Spotlights.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spotlights. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of spotlights

noun

verb

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