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 Conferences provide great potential for business professionals to light a fire under their careers. John Hall, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2024 That’s what happened Friday night as a nudge from Reeve helped light a fire under Collier during a key stretch of the second quarter as Minnesota overcame a slow start to down the Los Angeles Sparks 81-76 at Target Center. Frank Rajkowski, Twin Cities, 14 June 2024 Pitino drew criticism for his post-game tirade but has since claimed it was measured, intended to light a fire under his players. Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 12 Mar. 2024 While Ellis’s ensemble doesn’t lag behind the play, neither are they quite pushed to light a fire under it. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 8 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for light a fire under (someone) 

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.

Dictionary Entries Near light a fire under (someone)

Cite this Entry

“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 31 Oct. 2024.

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