A beam of sunlight came through the clouds.
Source: tatoeba (26507)
Beam
/biːm/
Synonyms for "beam" (453 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (91)
Noun(13 words)
abutmentactinic rayactinismam signalamplitudeangle rafterarc-boutantatomic beamatomic rayaudio signalbacksidebalkbankbarbattenbe brightbe in heavenbe pleasedbeaconbeam of light
Show 52 more words
beat signalbedazzlebeggar descriptionbehindbilletblazeblindblipsbloomboardboardingboomborderbottombouncebouncesbox girderbracebreadthbreakwaterbreastsummerbright smilebroad grinbroadcastbroadnessbroadsidebulwarkburnbuttocksbuttressbuttress pierbuttressingcancant hookcapercaracolecheekchirpchirrupchopclapboardclaw barcoastcompanioncorbelcordcordwoodcrack a smilecrankcrossbeamcrosstiecrow
Strong matches (136)
crowbarcrt spotdancedazedazzledealdelightderrieredie with delightdiffuse lightdirectdirect signaldisplaydistance acrossdm displaydoppler signaldouble-dot displaydriftwoodear-to-ear grinecho
Show 86 more words
echo signalembankmentequalizing pulseexpanseextentfan markerfannyfeel happyfirewoodflameflankflareflare pathflashflying buttressfm signalfooting beamfrolicfulguratefullnessfundamentgambolgamma raygirdergive lightglanceglaregleamgleaming smileglintglowglowing smilego into rapturesgringrinninggroinh beamhammer beamhandhandednesshandspikehanging buttresshardwoodhaunchhind endhiphip rafteri beamidiotic grinif signalif video signalim displayincandesceinfrared rayinstrumentinvisible radiationiron crowjamjettyjimmyjoistjowljoyjuttyknock deadlateralitylathlathinglathworklatitudelattice girderlaughleamleverliltlimblintellocal oscillator signalloglumberlustermany-sidednessmarkermarlinespikemolemultilaterality
Noun(20 words)
Adjective(2 words)
glaringjoyful affect
Related words (226)
Adjective(3 words)
natural smileposed grinsincere smile
newscastoutput pulseoutput signaloutriggerpanelboardpanelingpanelworkpartspatchpeaveypedalpencilphotoemissionphotonpicturepicture carrierpierpier buttresspinch barpip
Show 164 more words
pipsplankplankingplate girderplyboardplywoodpolepostposteriorprizeprofileprypuncheonpurrpylonquarterraconradar beaconradar signalradiateradiate cheerradiationradioradio beaconradio-frequency amplifierradio-frequency signalradio-frequency stageradiobroadcastradioraysrafterrampartrayray of lightreadingrearreflected signalreflectionretaining wallreturnreturn beamreturn signalrf amplifierrf echoesrf signalrf stageribbonribbon of lightridge strutridgepoleripping barromprumpsardonic grinscalescanning beamseatseawallsendsend out raysshaftshakesheathingsheathing boardsheetingshineshine brightlyshingleshipshootshoot out raysshoreshortwaveshortwave signalshouldersidesideboardsidingsign offsign onsignalsignal displaysillsimpersingskipslabslatsleepersmilesmile brightlysmilingsmirksoftwoodsolar rayssound carrierspansparsparklesplatsportscastspotspreadspritstavesternstickstick of woodstovewoodstreakstreamstream of lightstreamerstringpiecestrutstudstuddingstupid grinsummersummertreesupportsynchronizing signaltake great satisfactiontarget imagetelevision channeltemplethree-by-fourtietie beamtimbertimberingtimberworktoothful grintracetransmittransmitter signaltransomtransversetravetraversetread on airtreadletrestletrusstruss beamtv bandtwo-by-fourultraviolet rayunidirectional signalunilateralityvertical synchronizing pulsevideo signalviolet rayvoltage pulseweatherboardwhistlewidenesswidthwind conewind indicatorwind sockwirelesswoodwrecking barx ray
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: ray, shaft, abutment, actinic ray, actinism.
- Sentence evidence is available for beam, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "beam".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "beam"
Keep "beam" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "beam" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "beam", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "beam" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
39 entriesShowing 16 of 39 words.
More specific
11 entriesCollocations
10 entriesbeam a signalbeam across the roombeam of lightbeam with pridebeaming smilebeaming with pridesteel beamsunbeamsupport beamwooden beam
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
3 entriesSample sentences
37 total sentences available.
This beam won't hold the weight of the second story.
Source: tatoeba (56500)
This lamp sends out a powerful beam.
Source: tatoeba (60358)
A beam of light through the window woke the professor up out of a deep sleep.
Source: tatoeba (274161)
Showing 4 of 37 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "beam"?
Closest matches include ray, shaft, abutment, actinic ray, actinism.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "beam"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.