light (on or upon)

verb

Definition of light (on or upon)next
as in to find
to come upon unexpectedly or by chance the novelist lit upon the plot for his latest thriller while visiting a remote lighthouse in Maine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for light (on or upon)
  1. find
  2. encounter
Verb
  • Packable, walkable, comfortable—three keywords to bookmark when shopping for a travel sandal, though finding all of them in one pair can be a journey of its own.
    — Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 3 Aug. 2026
  • If found not guilty due to a lack of criminal responsibility, she would be committed to a state mental health facility.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of find
Verb
  • Iraola could even encounter some of the same issues that stumped Slot last season.
    — Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Neighbouring Devon should also encounter a high percentage of coverage, while people in Pembrokeshire, Wales, are set to see up to 94% of the sun eclipsed.
    — Callum Sutherland, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of encounter
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.

Browse Nearby Words

lightning rods
light (on or upon)
light out
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Light (on or upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/light%20%28on%20or%20upon%29. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nurture

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All