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sweetness and light

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Definition of sweetness and light

1 : a harmonious combination of beauty and enlightenment viewed as a hallmark of culture
2a : amiable reasonableness of disposition they were all sweetness and light
b : an untroubled or harmonious state or condition but all was not sweetness and light

Examples of sweetness and light in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This is not sweetness and light; there’s plenty of hardball. — Andrew C. Mccarthy, National Review, "In Impeachment’s Obstruction Dispute, Dissembling by Both Sides," 24 Jan. 2020 This black bock lager boasts a beautiful balance of roasted malt, sweetness and light bitterness. — oregonlive, "These are Portland’s 10 best beers, ranked," 18 Dec. 2019 Wayfinder Beer: Funeral Bock This double-decocted lager is a beautiful balance of roasted malt, sweetness and light bitterness. — Andre Meunier, oregonlive, "I’ve visited 40 Portland breweries so far in 2019; here is my favorite beer from each," 22 Nov. 2019 Then again, was everything sweetness and light with Cousins? — Bruce Jenkins, SFChronicle.com, "DeMarcus Cousins looks like a fit with Warriors, but it’s complicated," 18 June 2019 But the community’s location is not all sweetness and light. — John Horgan, The Mercury News, "Horgan: Times change: Entrance/exit fee for East Palo Alto?," 5 June 2019 Also unwelcome would be the public tongue-lashings Mr Xi might face from an American president who is currently all sweetness and light in his personal expressions towards China’s leader. — The Economist, "In its trade war with America, China dials down the hype," 12 July 2018 The start of Twins of Evil: The Second Coming Tour was, by contrast, all sweetness and light -- or, given the musical tenor of their two shows, sweetness and heavy. — Gary Graff, Billboard, "Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson Unite For Beatles Cover as 'Twins Of Evil 2' Tour Kicks Off In Detroit," 12 July 2018 What sounds like sweetness and light is the result of his six 12-hour-plus days (closed Sunday), which includes overlapping three-day processes to make the croissants. — Debbi Snook, cleveland.com, "Cleveland's Fluffy Duck Cafe specializes in croissants, breads (photos, review)," 5 Apr. 2018

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

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First Known Use of sweetness and light

1869, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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The first known use of sweetness and light was in 1869

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Statistics for sweetness and light

Last Updated

4 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Sweetness and light.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweetness%20and%20light. Accessed 23 Feb. 2020.

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