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
  • The walk to the beach takes around 15 minutes, and the sight of the ocean ahead, in a dip between two green hills, will light a fire under anybody.
    — Jo Rodgers, Vogue, 3 May 2024
  • 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
  • And that's not even including the saintly mamas who have died to light a fire under their sons (hi, Thor and Shang-Chi).
    — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 13 July 2022
  • 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
  • Hopefully, coming up short this season will light a fire under the team for the 2025 NFL Season.
    — Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
  • 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
  • Whether the intention was to actually put his name on the trade market or light a fire under the team doesn’t matter at this point.
    — Shayna Goldman, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
  • 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
  • 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
  • With North American trade in focus, this may actually give a respite to stocks with supply chains elsewhere and light a fire under them.
    — Brett Owens, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
  • 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
  • Leave it to Virat Kohli, India's talismanic batter who doubles as a renowned provocateur, to try to light a fire under his beleaguered team.
    — Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
  • 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

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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