limelight

noun lime·light \ ˈlīm-ˌlīt \

|Updated on: 20 Jun 2018

Definition of limelight

1 a : a stage lighting instrument producing illumination by means of an oxyhydrogen flame directed on a cylinder of lime and usually equipped with a lens to concentrate the light in a beam

b : the white light produced by such an instrument

c British : spotlight

2 : the center of public attention

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See limelight defined for kids

Examples of limelight in a Sentence

an actress who discovered that the limelight was not such a glowing experience when her privacy was invaded

Recent Examples of limelight from the Web

Hof was in the limelight in 2015, when former NBA player Lamar Odom was found unconscious at Hof's Love Ranch brothel in Crystal, Nevada, after a four-day, $75,000 stay.

— NBC News, "Nevada pimp Dennis Hof, who styles himself after Trump, wins GOP primary, ousts incumbent," 13 June 2018
Hof was in the limelight in 2015, when former NBA player Lamar Odom was found unconscious at Hof's Love Ranch brothel in Crystal, Nevada, after a four-day, $75,000 stay.

— michelle l. price, chicagotribune.com, "Nevada pimp Dennis Hof wins GOP primary, rejoices with Hollywood madam," 13 June 2018
Hof was in the limelight in 2015, when former NBA player Lamar Odom was found unconscious at Hof’s Love Ranch brothel in Crystal, Nevada, after a four-day, $75,000 stay.

— Washington Post, "Nevada pimp Dennis Hof wins GOP primary, ousts incumbent," 13 June 2018
His unlikely journey to stardom has made his ultimate arrival in the limelight that much sweeter.

— daniel rapaport, SI.com, "Q&A: Tony Finau On the Ryder Cup, Augusta and an All-PGA Tour Pickup Team," 12 June 2018
Hof was also in the limelight in 2015, when former NBA player Lamar Odom was found unconscious at Hof’s Love Ranch brothel in Crystal, Nevada, after a four-day, $75,000 stay.

— Time, "A Brothel Owner Is Running for Office in Nevada as a Republican," 11 June 2018
In the 1940s, those temperance advocates who had receded out of the limelight during Prohibition returned to the public sphere with renewed vigor.

— hannah c. griggs, The Atlantic, "Teaching Sobriety With ‘The Bottle’," 27 May 2018
Joseph Macias, special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Initiative in Los Angeles, said Johnston simply picked a department that was in the limelight.

— ruben vives, latimes.com, "Fontana man sent to prison for posing as an immigration officer," 26 May 2018
So on the surface, the issue will get shoved out of the limelight.

— james hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Trump wins a battle in the culture war as NFL owners cave on national anthem protests," 24 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'limelight.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.