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
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The Aurora City Council on Tuesday gave the green light to a downtown arcade that’s looking to expand and combine with a record store. R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026 The only thing missing is the green light. Harry Bubbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026 After staff at Methodist Transplant Institute gave them the green light, everything worked out just fine. Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026 Gonzalez might as well have been given the green light at this point. Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for the green light

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Cite this Entry

“The green light.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20green%20light. Accessed 11 May. 2026.

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