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

See Examples For:

shed light on

The scientists hope this will help shed light on how a range of disorders such as autism and schizophrenia first emerge and then progress later in life.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

The data shed light on how immigration detention has ebbed and flowed so far in 2026.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Now, a new theoretical study suggests a possible solution, one that could also shed light on another major mystery in physics, the origin of the mass of fundamental particles.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026

New court documents released in one of the AI company’s lawsuits against the Pentagon shed light on the underlying tensions between the two.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

Soon after, a friend emailed Kathy a document that seemed to shed light on the state of mind of the soldiers and law-enforcement agencies working in New Orleans at the time.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers

Related Words

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