light a fire under (someone)

idiom

US, informal

: to cause (someone) to move or work more quickly and effectively

I've never seen him work so hard. Someone must have lit a fire under him.

Examples of light a fire under (someone) in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web That’s what happened Friday night as a nudge from Reeve helped light a fire under Collier during a key stretch of the second quarter as Minnesota overcame a slow start to down the Los Angeles Sparks 81-76 at Target Center. —

Frank Rajkowski, Twin Cities, 14 June 2024 Pitino drew criticism for his post-game tirade but has since claimed it was measured, intended to light a fire under his players. —

Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 12 Mar. 2024 While Ellis’s ensemble doesn’t lag behind the play, neither are they quite pushed to light a fire under it. —

Sara Holdren, Vulture, 8 Mar. 2024 The walk to the beach takes around 15 minutes, and the sight of the ocean ahead, in a dip between two green hills, will light a fire under anybody. —

Jo Rodgers, Vogue, 3 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for light a fire under (someone)

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'light a fire under (someone).' 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 a fire under (someone)

light adaptation

light a fire under (someone)

light air

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“Light a fire under (someone).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/light%20a%20fire%20under%20%28someone%29. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.

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