the green light
noun
: permission to start or continue something (such as a project)
His boss finally gave him the green light to start the new project.
Examples of the green light in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Notably, businesses in 18th & Vine either didn’t apply or get approval, but one Northland bar was given the green light.
—
Katelyn Umholtz,
Kansas City Star,
1 July 2026
Regardless, the green light for reclassification helps expand Notre Dame’s target list and allows those prospects to earn name, image and likeness money six months sooner.
—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
1 July 2026
The commission approved Hinkle’s application for the well without a hearing, giving the company the green light to inject more than 800,000 gallons of wastewater into the earth each day.
—
Nick Bowlin,
ProPublica,
30 June 2026
The Chevrolet had the green light before entering the intersection, police said.
—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
28 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for the green light
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Katelyn Umholtz,
Kansas City Star,
1 July 2026
Regardless, the green light for reclassification helps expand Notre Dame’s target list and allows those prospects to earn name, image and likeness money six months sooner.
—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
1 July 2026
The commission approved Hinkle’s application for the well without a hearing, giving the company the green light to inject more than 800,000 gallons of wastewater into the earth each day.
—
Nick Bowlin,
ProPublica,
30 June 2026
The Chevrolet had the green light before entering the intersection, police said.
—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
28 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for the green light
Cite this Entry
“The green light.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20green%20light. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
