light a fire under (someone)

idiom

US, informal

: to cause (someone) to move or work more quickly and effectively

I've never seen him work so hard. Someone must have lit a fire under him.

Examples of light a fire under (someone) 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.

Hopefully, coming up short this season will light a fire under the team for the 2025 NFL Season. —

Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025 Whether the intention was to actually put his name on the trade market or light a fire under the team doesn’t matter at this point. —

Shayna Goldman, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025 Leave it to Virat Kohli, India's talismanic batter who doubles as a renowned provocateur, to try to light a fire under his beleaguered team. —

Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024 Initially, a Trump election could provide a short-term boost to stock prices in the immediate aftermath, as a corporate tax cut could once again light a fire under corporate share buybacks. —

Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for light a fire under (someone)

Dictionary Entries Near light a fire under (someone)

light adaptation

light a fire under (someone)

light air

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“Light a fire under (someone).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/light%20a%20fire%20under%20%28someone%29. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.

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