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
Cole Anthony can light up a scoreboard at times, but he’s been inconsistent offensively and is nowhere close to the defender second-year guard Anthony Black is.
—
Josh Robbins, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Not against this, an opponent able to lock down on defense, light up on offense.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 26 Apr. 2025
Pyrotechnic artists light up the sky in a dazzling fireworks competition.
—Bonjour Québec, AFAR Media, 22 Apr. 2025
Solar winds from the sun’s corona are set to light up the skies this week.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for light up
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.
Josh Robbins, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Not against this, an opponent able to lock down on defense, light up on offense.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 26 Apr. 2025
Pyrotechnic artists light up the sky in a dazzling fireworks competition.
—Bonjour Québec, AFAR Media, 22 Apr. 2025
Solar winds from the sun’s corona are set to light up the skies this week.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for light up
Cite this Entry
“Light up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/light%20up. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share