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
In October, Newsom gave Caltrans the green light to spend $500 million on a single 10-mile stretch of highway that will vanish into the sea.
—
Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 13 Nov. 2025
Jessica Garon, a spokesperson for the American Public Human Services Association, told the Associated Press that most states will be able to issue full benefits within three days after they’re given the green light.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 13 Nov. 2025
There are wellness centers that offer hyperbaric oxygen chambers, and with a brief medical history and a few signatures, people are allowed to use these powerful machines without the green light from a medical professional.
—Ali Nolan, Outside, 10 Nov. 2025
Pressing On Goudreau said that the operation went ahead despite Alcalá’s arrest because the general had already given it the green light before he was charged and the commanders on the ground decided to push on.
—Kevin G. Hall, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the green light
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Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 13 Nov. 2025
Jessica Garon, a spokesperson for the American Public Human Services Association, told the Associated Press that most states will be able to issue full benefits within three days after they’re given the green light.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 13 Nov. 2025
There are wellness centers that offer hyperbaric oxygen chambers, and with a brief medical history and a few signatures, people are allowed to use these powerful machines without the green light from a medical professional.
—Ali Nolan, Outside, 10 Nov. 2025
Pressing On Goudreau said that the operation went ahead despite Alcalá’s arrest because the general had already given it the green light before he was charged and the commanders on the ground decided to push on.
—Kevin G. Hall, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
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 19 Nov. 2025.
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