How to Use light a fire under (someone) in a Sentence
light a fire under (someone)
idiom-
Bill O’Brien does not need to light a fire under Mac Jones.
—Jim McBride, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Jan. 2023
-
But that didn’t mean the fan favorite couldn’t try to light a fire under some butts on his way out the door.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 4 Sep. 2020
-
But the scale of the FTX collapse is likely to light a fire under regulators around the world.
—WIRED, 18 Nov. 2022
-
Perhaps, then, this new paper will light a fire under the field of fire science.
—Matt Simon, Wired, 17 Dec. 2020
-
As Faris notes, this was exactly what Democrats needed to light a fire under their base.
—Ryan Cooper, The Week, 16 Sep. 2021
-
Just a taste of a what a strike can feel like can light a fire under negotiations.
—Chris Isidore, CNN, 25 Mar. 2023
-
Otherwise, its effort to light a fire under HBO Max could leave scorch marks.
—Dan Gallagher, WSJ, 19 Dec. 2020
-
To say these are the kinds of shows that will light a fire under you in the kitchen would be an overstatement bordering on condescension for many of us.
—Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2021
-
The promise of sotatercept has helped light a fire under Acceleron’s shares in the past couple of years and swelled its market value.
—Ben Dummett, WSJ, 27 Sep. 2021
-
Minnifield and Dixon wanted to light a fire under their defense.
—Terry Pluto, cleveland, 3 Dec. 2021
-
Hence, more people will be watching as the team continues to progress, so Stam and Co. still have time to light a fire under this fan base and build momentum for 2021.
—Pat Brennan, The Enquirer, 8 Sep. 2020
-
Gruden may be praising Mariota as a way to light a fire under Carr.
—oregonlive, 15 Aug. 2020
-
There’s no telling what’s to come, but Baylor fans should be thrilled that Aranda was able to pull this off and light a fire under Shapen following a disappointing season.
—Michael Haag, Dallas News, 11 Jan. 2023
-
Atlanta badly needed a power hitter, someone who could light a fire under the offense.
—Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY, 21 July 2023
-
Garrett was undoubtedly trying to light a fire under his teammates as well as himself.
—Mary Kay Cabot, cleveland, 27 Sep. 2021
-
That has the odds-makers favoring Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, but divisional rivalries sometimes light a fire under the underdogs.
—Bychris Morris, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2023
-
The stunning decision by Biles should light a fire under sports organizations to do a better job of helping athletes with burnout and mental health issues.
—Editorial Board, Star Tribune, 28 July 2021
-
While managing the slow burn of the end of James’ career, Ham will also have to find a way to light a fire under Davis, who is constantly beset by nagging injuries compounded by a lack of personal resilience.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2022
-
Cox plan to light a fire under unemployed Utahns by nixing benefits is merely smoldering.
—Bryan Schott, The Salt Lake Tribune, 5 Aug. 2021
-
Musk may have felt this warning would light a fire under employees and engage their entrepreneurial thinking.
—Lynne Curry | Alaska Workplace, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Nov. 2022
-
Among our list of travel memoirs written by some of the world's most adventurous women (more on that here), Tabei's is one that will surely light a fire under anyone debating spending more time outdoors.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 June 2022
-
Musk acknowledged helping hire lawyers to shepherd the acquisition through board confirmation and holding weekly meetings to light a fire under the due-diligence process.
—BostonGlobe.com, 16 Aug. 2021
-
Primary elections rarely light a fire under most California voters.
—John Myers, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2022
-
Talking about and considering living gratitude in a more serious way does light a fire under people who didn’t fully realize, or perhaps had forgotten, the power of personal virtue and stewardship.
—Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review, 28 June 2021
Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'light a fire under (someone).' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Last Updated: