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
New Atlas, 28 Dec. 2025
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 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
Automotive companies like Ford and GM usually get the most limelight, but there were many others, like Singer, a company that normally makes sewing machines, that started making firearm components.
—New Atlas, 28 Dec. 2025
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 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 30 Dec. 2025.
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