Synonyms

shed light on

Idioms

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.

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.

New research sheds light on how we know when to stop scratching an itch.

From The Wall Street Journal

An MoD source said it would "ruthlessly pursue any information that can shed light on this scandal".

From BBC

Satellite images have since helped shed light on situations on the ground.

From Barron's

These findings also shed light on the broader geodynamic history of the Atlantic Ocean.

From Science Daily

A related study sheds light on why this inverse relationship exists.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023