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
Examples of limelight in a Sentence
Noun
an actress who discovered that the limelight was not such a glowing experience when her privacy was invaded
Recent Examples on the Web
Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Dec. 2025
The city had a high poverty rate, a diverse population, and was in the national limelight after filing for municipal bankruptcy a few years earlier.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 8 Nov. 2025
The film is beginning its theatrical rollout as al-Sisi enjoys a moment in the international limelight, after President Donald Trump praised the Egyptian president for his role in helping to get the Gaza peace plan overline.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2025
The city has largely avoided the brunt of the immigration limelight somehow, with Chicago in full focus in recent days.
—Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for limelight
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Noun
Saunders turns out to be one of two dancers spotlighted in Episode 2 who thought their on-stage careers were over before they got thrust into as big a limelight as show business has ever seen as part of the Eras Tour.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Dec. 2025
The city had a high poverty rate, a diverse population, and was in the national limelight after filing for municipal bankruptcy a few years earlier.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 8 Nov. 2025
The film is beginning its theatrical rollout as al-Sisi enjoys a moment in the international limelight, after President Donald Trump praised the Egyptian president for his role in helping to get the Gaza peace plan overline.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2025
The city has largely avoided the brunt of the immigration limelight somehow, with Chicago in full focus in recent days.
—Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for limelight
Cite this Entry
“Limelight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/limelight. Accessed 17 Dec. 2025.
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