the green light
noun
: permission to start or continue something (such as a project)
His boss finally gave him the green light to start the new project.
Examples of the green light in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Marcus Smart spent most of the final weeks of the regular season in street clothes, waiting for the green light to join the collective effort of trying to replace Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
—
Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 22 Apr. 2026
By the afternoon, the team gave the green light, and the Chinook departed on schedule.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 21 Apr. 2026
When Kessler gave him the green light, Wang let everyone know about his plan.
—Bob Buttitta, Daily News, 19 Apr. 2026
Yes, The Pitt got the green light for a third season.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the green light
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 22 Apr. 2026
By the afternoon, the team gave the green light, and the Chinook departed on schedule.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 21 Apr. 2026
When Kessler gave him the green light, Wang let everyone know about his plan.
—Bob Buttitta, Daily News, 19 Apr. 2026
Yes, The Pitt got the green light for a third season.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the green light
Cite this Entry
“The green light.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20green%20light. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
