the heat
noun
: pressure to do something
The administration is putting the heat on legislators to approve the tax bill.
She's at her best when the heat is on with tight deadlines.
The company has turned up the heat on its employees to finish the job quickly.
Note: The expression if you can't stand/take the heat, get out of the kitchen means that you should not try to do a difficult job if you cannot deal with the pressure and problems that are part of the job.
Examples of the heat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Forecasters say the heat dome that's baked the West for weeks will shift east.
—
Doyle Rice, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
Break in the heat and dry conditions as a pattern change evolves next week.
—Hector Amezcua, Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2026
Steady decline of sea ice Each year Arctic sea ice grows over the cold winter and shrinks in the heat of the summer.
—Seth Borenstein, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
Steady decline of sea ice Each year, Arctic sea ice grows over the cold winter and shrinks in the heat of the summer.
—CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the heat
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Doyle Rice, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
Break in the heat and dry conditions as a pattern change evolves next week.
—Hector Amezcua, Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2026
Steady decline of sea ice Each year Arctic sea ice grows over the cold winter and shrinks in the heat of the summer.
—Seth Borenstein, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
Steady decline of sea ice Each year, Arctic sea ice grows over the cold winter and shrinks in the heat of the summer.
—CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the heat
Cite this Entry
“The heat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20heat. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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