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
Inter then stunned the hosts with a second goal, serving to light a fire under Yamal.
—
Tim Spiers, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Expect direct communication and a whole lot of mental energy as Mercury enters Aries on March 3
Comments
Mercury in Aries is about to light a fire under your thoughts — at least for now!
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 3 Mar. 2025
Loading your audio article SAN FRANCISCO — The new NBA All-Star weekend format gives the winning Rising Stars team a new responsibility: the opportunity to light a fire under an All-Star club.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 2025
Even still, that market should light a fire under Anthopoulos to answer one of the biggest questions about what Atlanta needs for the 2025 season.
—Zach Pressnell, Newsweek, 1 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for light a fire under (someone)
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.
Tim Spiers, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Expect direct communication and a whole lot of mental energy as Mercury enters Aries on March 3
Comments
Mercury in Aries is about to light a fire under your thoughts — at least for now!
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 3 Mar. 2025
Loading your audio article SAN FRANCISCO — The new NBA All-Star weekend format gives the winning Rising Stars team a new responsibility: the opportunity to light a fire under an All-Star club.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 2025
Even still, that market should light a fire under Anthopoulos to answer one of the biggest questions about what Atlanta needs for the 2025 season.
—Zach Pressnell, Newsweek, 1 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for light a fire under (someone)
Cite this Entry
“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 5 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share