light bulb moment
Britishnoun
Etymology
Origin of light bulb moment
C20: from the cartoon image of a light bulb lighting up above a character's head when he or she has an idea
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 filters would be very good insulation, and someone had a light bulb moment and probably bought this as scrap off their manager," he said.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
But it was a light bulb moment with the swing that made the most profound change.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2025
Did you have a light bulb moment, an experience where you said, "Oh, this is not normal?"
From Salon • Jun. 3, 2024
“It was like a light bulb moment for me,” Ms. Hughes said.
From New York Times • Feb. 12, 2022
A light bulb moment for a lot of my actors is, I share Russian singing and music, which reflects the speaking rhythms.
From Slate • Jul. 24, 2021
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.
