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Synonyms

in the limelight

Idioms  

  1. Also, in the spotlight. At the center of public attention or notoriety. For example, John loves being in the limelight, or The reporters made sure the attractive new actress would be in the spotlight. Both terms come from the theater and allude to focusing light on an important person, the first from a lighting device used from about 1840 on, the second from the early 1900s. Also see in the public eye; steal the show.

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.

But some believe they are reaping the consequences of putting their family in the limelight to benefit the brand.

From BBC

It ended with Root in the limelight - should that be floodlight? - once again delivering when his team and his country needed him.

From BBC

"The way you look aesthetically and fuelling as an athlete are two conflicting ideals. That's hard for anybody in the limelight."

From BBC

Decades later, those moments and the others that went on to define the pop star and her very public unravelling are back in the limelight - but what exactly happened and why depends on who is doing the retelling.

From BBC

She clearly thrives in the limelight and embraces the glamour that comes with being her country's most celebrated foody.

From BBC

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.