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View synonyms for

spotlight

[ spot-lahyt ]

noun

  1. a strong, focused light thrown upon a particular spot, as on a small area of a stage or in a television studio, for making some object, person, or group especially conspicuous.
  2. a lamp for producing such a light.
  3. a brilliant light with a focused beam, mounted on the side of an automobile and used for illuminating objects not within range of the headlights.
  4. the area of immediate or conspicuous public attention:

    Asia is in the spotlight now.



verb (used with object)

spotlighted or spotlit, spotlighting.
  1. to direct the beam of a spotlight upon; light with a spotlight.
  2. to make conspicuous; call attention to:

    Newspapers spotlighted the story for a week.

  3. to hunt (animals) using a spotlight in order to temporarily blind or confuse them.

verb (used without object)

spotlighted or spotlit, spotlighting.
  1. to hunt by using a spotlight.

spotlight

/ ˈɒˌɪ /

noun

  1. a powerful light focused so as to illuminate a small area, usually mounted so that it can be directed at will
  2. the spotlight
    the focus of attention
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to direct a spotlight on
  2. to focus attention on
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • dzle noun
  • ܲ·dzle adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of spotlight1

First recorded in 1910–15; spot + light 1
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Idioms and Phrases

see in the limelight (spotlight) ; steal the show (spotlight) .
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

On April 30, the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, his community will be in the spotlight, as news reports highlight the growth and influence of the Vietnamese community in Southern California.

From

A single, white rose was pictured lying on the stone tomb that bears the name he was known by during his pontificate, below a crucifix illuminated by a single spotlight.

From

Drag queen Jiggly Caliente, a fierce performer who competed on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” will take time away from the spotlight to focus on her health after a portion of her right leg was recently amputated.

From

"I think what the by-election is really doing is shining a spotlight and causing a debate."

From

Two years later, she famously locked horns with Margaret Thatcher in a headline-making interview which propelled her into the national spotlight.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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