How to Use spotlight in a Sentence

spotlight

1 of 2 noun
  • They aimed the spotlight at the center of the stage.
  • The actor stood in the spotlight.
  • A spotlight moved across the stage.
  • They're always in the spotlight.
  • The news article turned the spotlight on the city's financial problems.
  • But before the massive spotlight and the MVP honors, the two were just adorable teens.
    Alex Apatoff, Peoplemag, 21 Jan. 2024
  • An intense spotlight shines on the passions of your heart.
    USA TODAY, 21 July 2023
  • The urge to hide in the background is likely strong, pushing you away from any spotlights.
    Tarot Astrologers, Chicago Tribune, 21 July 2023
  • Nick Richards Filling in for Mark Williams for the better part of the last two months has put more of a spotlight on the fourth-year big man.
    Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 25 Jan. 2024
  • The new initiative puts a spotlight on the UAE’s evolving role in the fight against climate change.
    Chico Harlan, Washington Post, 1 Dec. 2023
  • All of us are anxious to hear the rollout of the events that will attract even more tourists and shine a spotlight on San Diego.
    Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 June 2023
  • Kevin Jonas doesn’t get that kind of vocal spotlight in the context of a Jonas Brothers show.
    Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 7 Sep. 2023
  • The weekly column takes you behind the scenes and shines a spotlight on unique stories.
    Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
  • The lease shines a spotlight on the lack of interest to date from large life science firms in the downtown market.
    Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Mar. 2024
  • The helicopter shines a spotlight near the hiker clinging to the cliff as ocean waves crash just below.
    Brooke Baitinger, Sacramento Bee, 2 Apr. 2024
  • The war in Gaza has cast a spotlight on the grim science of counting the casualties of conflict.
    Josh Zumbrun, WSJ, 10 Nov. 2023
  • Just as Algiers shone a spotlight on Fanon, Suez shone one on Fleming.
    Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2024
  • Henderson and Sharpe could share that spotlight for years to come in the Blazers backcourt.
    Afentres, oregonlive, 8 July 2023
  • The war has thus shone a spotlight on the global South as a major factor in geopolitics.
    Sarang Shidore, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2023
  • The winners of this contest, shown here, put a spotlight on simple marvels.
    Carolyn Hagler, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 May 2023
  • Pamela Anderson has been a household name for the past three decades, the length of her career in the Hollywood spotlight.
    Katherine Singh, refinery29.com, 5 Nov. 2023
  • The set helps spotlight just how imaginative kids can be.
    Korin Miller, wsj.com, 15 Nov. 2023
  • As your birthday month ramps up, the full moon in Capricorn shines a big ole spotlight on the partnerships in your life, Cancer.
    Jacqueline Tempera, Women's Health, 30 June 2023
  • An outdoor adventure series is putting a spotlight on the Queen City.
    Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 15 Aug. 2023
  • Martin's death, like Owens', shone a spotlight on Florida's stand your ground laws.
    Austin L. Miller, USA TODAY, 8 June 2023
  • Courts San Diego to take spotlight in fight over California’s gun laws.
    Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Dec. 2023
  • His heroism put him in a national spotlight, but the moment has left lasting scars.
    Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Apr. 2023
  • Some of these sports would be in the Olympic spotlight for the first time, while others would be making a triumphant return, in some cases after a very long wait.
    Victor Mather, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2023
  • Just for subscribers: The Trump trial of the millennium puts spotlight on his legal team.
    USA TODAY, 6 July 2023
  • The shooting shined a national spotlight on the city's struggle with youth violence.
    Jake Allen, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Apr. 2024
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spotlight

2 of 2 verb
  • She was spotlighted as she sang her solo.
  • The news spotlighted the city's financial problems.
  • The images spotlight the volatile world of Io, which is about one-fourth as wide as Earth.
    Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Jan. 2024
  • All of these tributes are supposed to spotlight some of the most popular shows over the last 75 years.
    TIME, 16 Jan. 2024
  • But there is more than one way to spotlight vegetables.
    Ellie Krieger, Washington Post, 12 Oct. 2023
  • In the back of the house, spacious terraces on both levels spotlight the panoramic vistas.
    David Caraccio, Sacramento Bee, 11 Apr. 2024
  • The program will culminate in a showcase that spotlights each of the filmmaker’s projects.
    Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2023
  • Then there’s a second week of films spotlighting hip-hop culture.
    Sally Verrando, Dallas News, 31 July 2023
  • Then there was the matter of locking down the rights to spotlight the books, which was predictably agonizing, at least in the first season.
    Jonathan Taylor, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2023
  • Beyond the Cayman Islands, Ripert is quick to spotlight the role food plays when visiting a new place.
    Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 28 Feb. 2024
  • While soft-wave bobs have been having a moment for a while now, Davis's hair is proof that curls deserve to be spotlighted in above-the-shoulder styles.
    Marci Robin, Allure, 14 Nov. 2023
  • Each evening will spotlight two singers appearing in three sessions.
    Dewayne Bevil, Orlando Sentinel, 30 Nov. 2022
  • Across the episodes, the Choctaws are spotlighted in various periods, including the 13th and 18th centuries and into the present day.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 10 Jan. 2024
  • ProPublica's report is the latest to spotlight the lack of ethics rules for Supreme Court justices.
    Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2023
  • The couple use their platform to spotlight stories that deserve to be heard, while encouraging others to do the same.
    Cassandra Pintro, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2023
  • The nonprofit is aimed at spotlighting Lord's case and offering resources for those in need.
    Kira Caspers, The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2024
  • Each work spotlights two to three artists and offers 12 hours of free rehearsal at G-Son Studios leading up to the performance, which concludes with a post-show talk with the artists.
    Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2023
  • The move is part of a larger effort to spotlight the ongoing cultural damage caused by the war with Russia.
    Christopher Parker, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Sep. 2023
  • Megan Thee Stallion spotlighted the same track on her Stories, adding a series of flames emojis.
    Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 8 Mar. 2024
  • Adult Pop Airplay spotlights airplay on around 80 adult top 40 stations.
    Gary Trust, Billboard, 8 Sep. 2023
  • Wine is a highlight, too, with a 500-plus bottle list spotlighting producers from British Columbia and across the globe.
    Carolyn Heller, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
  • WalletHub’s rankings also spotlighted a few standout cities that didn't make the top 10.
    Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 2 Oct. 2023
  • The itinerary will also spotlight the Greek gems of Athens, Santorini, and Milos.
    Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 27 Mar. 2024
  • The 12-episode series will spotlight surveillance footage caught around the country and give subscribers a look at how cameras catch criminals.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 27 June 2023
  • The style spotlights clean lines, minimalist furniture, and classic color schemes of blues, whites, and woods.
    Abby Wilson, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Oct. 2023
  • Gifford grew up in Manchester-by-the-Sea and easily named Boston when tasked with choosing a city to spotlight for the conference.
    Sonel Cutler, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Mar. 2023
  • Agarwal spotlights plenty of artifacts from the days when the internet was ruled by Adobe Flash, and viral texts and images spread via word of mouth.
    Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Nov. 2023
  • Each of these selections spotlights the singular beauty, mystery, and joie de vivre that was Jane Birkin.
    Erik Morse, Vogue, 20 July 2023
  • The series spotlighted the work of the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, an animal rescue charity.
    Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2023
  • The captions on the slides also spotlighted the snake emoji, accompanied by a video of a white snake coiled on someone’s hand, a close-up of Megan’s face and a third of her wrists covered in thorny bracelets.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 24 Oct. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spotlight.' 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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