How to Use light a fire under (someone) in a Sentence
light a fire under (someone)
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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 -
And that will light a fire under emerging-market bonds.
— Brett Owens, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023 -
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.
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