shed light on

Idioms  

1. Also, throw light on. Clarify or explain, as in I was hoping the professor would shed light on how he arrived at his theory, or Can anyone throw some light on where these plants came from? Originally, from about 1200, these expressions were used literally, in the sense of “illuminate,” but they soon were used figuratively as well.

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Example Sentences

To try and shed light on the cause-and-effect relationship, Australian researchers are recruiting 13- to 16-year-olds for a "Connected Minds Study" to assess how the ban affects their wellbeing.

From Barron's

Research is now shedding light on how this highly consumed ingredient contributes to obesity in mice.

From Science Daily

The new study uses in vivo experiments with mice infected with influenza viruses to shed light on how fever provides protection and why this protection may not be enough against avian strains.

From Science Daily

The paper, "New finds shed light on diet and locomotion in Australopithecus deyiremeda," appears in the journal Nature.

From Science Daily

Estimated brain age from structural scans may also shed light on risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, including muscle loss.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• analyze
• clear up
• define
• formulate
• interpret
• resolve
• simplify
• spell out