light up
phrasal verb
1
of a light
: to become lit : to begin shining
All of the lights on the display suddenly lit up.
—often used figuratively to express interest or pleasureHis eyes/face lit up when she walked in the room.
2
informal, of a telephone
: to show a light indicating that someone is calling
When the DJ announced a contest, the phones lit up.
3
informal
: to light a cigarette
I can't wait to light up after work.
Examples of light up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On the evening of Thanksgiving, 15 blocks light up with thousands of colorful bulbs.
—
Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2024
Some Israelis watched the interceptions light up the night sky.
—Joseph Federman, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2024
The color-changing smart bulbs work with all major smart home platforms and light up homes with 1,100 lumens of brightness.
—Sheena Vasani, The Verge, 2 Apr. 2024
And maybe by the start of the 2026 soccer season, Current fans will be able to ride — rather than drive —to see a match, watch the river flow and the downtown skyline light up.
—Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2024
Glo Pals drop into the water and light up, which appears to help relax autistic kiddos and other young children who otherwise may not feel secure in the bathtub.
—Christin Perry, Parents, 29 Mar. 2024
Earlier today a new Escape From Tarkov patch launched and added a brand new in-game event, seemingly called Maslenitsa, that requires players to light up bonfires in order to earn rewards.
—Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
LEDs could light up a space more efficiently and use way less energy—about 75% less—than the more traditional incandescents.
—TIME, 27 Mar. 2024
Under the Biden administration, U.S. embassies have been invited to fly the pride flag or light up with rainbow colors in support of the LGBTQ community.
—Kevin Freking, Fortune, 21 Mar. 2024
Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2024
Some Israelis watched the interceptions light up the night sky.
—Joseph Federman, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2024
The color-changing smart bulbs work with all major smart home platforms and light up homes with 1,100 lumens of brightness.
—Sheena Vasani, The Verge, 2 Apr. 2024
And maybe by the start of the 2026 soccer season, Current fans will be able to ride — rather than drive —to see a match, watch the river flow and the downtown skyline light up.
—Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2024
Glo Pals drop into the water and light up, which appears to help relax autistic kiddos and other young children who otherwise may not feel secure in the bathtub.
—Christin Perry, Parents, 29 Mar. 2024
Earlier today a new Escape From Tarkov patch launched and added a brand new in-game event, seemingly called Maslenitsa, that requires players to light up bonfires in order to earn rewards.
—Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
LEDs could light up a space more efficiently and use way less energy—about 75% less—than the more traditional incandescents.
—TIME, 27 Mar. 2024
Under the Biden administration, U.S. embassies have been invited to fly the pride flag or light up with rainbow colors in support of the LGBTQ community.
—Kevin Freking, Fortune, 21 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'light up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near light up
Cite this Entry
“Light up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/light%20up. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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