✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

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
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.
An approval by the commission would give the green light to BH3 Merrimac, which plans to build two high-rise towers containing hotel rooms and condo units on the site on the south side of Watson Island. Miami Herald, 20 Nov. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for the green light

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“The green light.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20green%20light. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!