house lights

British

plural noun

the lights in the auditorium of a theatre, cinema, etc

"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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The house lights turned on as 2,800 people rose to their feet for endless applause.

From Slate • Jun. 30, 2025

The house lights turned on as he made a three-point turn to leave, Walsh said.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 18, 2024

But then the house lights went down and a spotlight went up, and he was holding a mic, looking like a stand-up comedian in full performance mode.

From New York Times • Jan. 11, 2024

He then walked offstage and another number played until the house lights came up.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 27, 2022

As that song ends, the curtain closes and the house lights come up for intermission.

From "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" by John Green and David Levithan

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