as in world
a huge physical or conceptual distance
my sister and I are close in age, but personality-wise, there are light-years between us
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Recent Examples of light-year
The jet bursts out through the clouds of the nebula and extends light-years into space.
—
Keith Cooper, Space.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Remember, stellar distances are measured in light-years, with the closest star system still over four light-years away.
—Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026
Located 7,200 light-years away, Cygnus X-1 features not only a black hole — the first one ever identified more than a half-century ago — but a blue supergiant star, its constant companion.
—Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Polaris is perched 433 light-years, or just over 2500 trillion miles, above the North Pole.
—Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for light-year
Keith Cooper, Space.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Remember, stellar distances are measured in light-years, with the closest star system still over four light-years away.
—Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026
Located 7,200 light-years away, Cygnus X-1 features not only a black hole — the first one ever identified more than a half-century ago — but a blue supergiant star, its constant companion.
—Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Polaris is perched 433 light-years, or just over 2500 trillion miles, above the North Pole.
—Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for light-year
Recent Examples of Synonyms for light-year
Noun
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The company still looks for unique characters, worlds that viewers may not regularly experience and stories that offer something more than just a tale well told.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
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Our impressively multicultural team of street racers now freelance in the shadowy and complex world of covert ops, jetting around the world to take down an increasingly unhinged array of nihilist supervillains.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Previous studies on these fascinating, transitioning galaxies were a bit of a hodgepodge.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
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Before long, a whole galaxy stretches across the sky, visible to the naked eye.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Light-year.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/light-year. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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