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

The findings, published recently in The Lancet, shed light on why preventing kidney stones remains difficult, even when people are motivated and receive ongoing support.

From Science Daily • May 1, 2026

There was undoubtedly support from some Labour backbenchers, pointing to ongoing work to shed light on the process surrounding Lord Mandelson's appointment and rejecting the notion another inquiry was necessary.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

The findings also shed light on how certain Neanderthal maternal lineages were distributed across western Eurasia.

From Science Daily • Apr. 22, 2026

The deposition also shed light on management of Paxton’s blind trust, a tool that some politicians use to avoid conflicts of interest by separating them from their assets.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

Thomas waited, hoping that Newt or Alby would have a positive reaction to the news, maybe even have further information to shed light on the mystery.

From "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner

Related Words

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