light up

phrasal verb

1

of a light : to become lit : to begin shining

All of the lights on the display suddenly lit up.

—often used figuratively to express interest or pleasure

His eyes/face lit up when she walked in the room.

2

informal, of a telephone : to show a light indicating that someone is calling

When the DJ announced a contest, the phones lit up.

3

informal : to light a cigarette

I can't wait to light up after work.

Examples of light up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

When the system detects Caruana is demonstrating drowsy behavior a coffee cup icon will light up along with a chime. —Ed Garsten, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024

Grade the finale and season overall, then light up the comments! —Nick Caruso, TVLine, 8 Dec. 2024

To kick that off, the London Eye will light up the city’s skyline in Mocha Mousse Thursday night. —Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 5 Dec. 2024

Nash enlisted help from the city of Pasadena and fellow members of the Pasadena Kiwanis Club to light up a quarter mile of the street. —Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024