the heat
noun
: pressure to do something
The administration is putting the heat on legislators to approve the tax bill.
She's at her best when the heat is on with tight deadlines.
The company has turned up the heat on its employees to finish the job quickly.
Note: The expression if you can't stand/take the heat, get out of the kitchen means that you should not try to do a difficult job if you cannot deal with the pressure and problems that are part of the job.
Examples of the heat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This connection provides the data needed to design divertors that can withstand the heat loads of real-world fusion energy production.
—
Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Apr. 2026
Such constellations allow the heat and power problems to be distributed, but to work, the satellites would need to send huge amounts of data back and forth.
—Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 3 Apr. 2026
This weekend the heat is back, with inland valleys climbing into the mid-80s and San Francisco on track to hit 80 degrees for the eighth or ninth time this year.
—Greg Porter, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
Indoor play becomes more crucial in the heat and rain of a Miami summer as well as the frigid wind of a Chicago winter.
—Connie Ogle
april 3, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the heat
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.
Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Apr. 2026
Such constellations allow the heat and power problems to be distributed, but to work, the satellites would need to send huge amounts of data back and forth.
—Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 3 Apr. 2026
This weekend the heat is back, with inland valleys climbing into the mid-80s and San Francisco on track to hit 80 degrees for the eighth or ninth time this year.
—Greg Porter, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
Indoor play becomes more crucial in the heat and rain of a Miami summer as well as the frigid wind of a Chicago winter.
—Connie Ogle
april 3, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the heat
Cite this Entry
“The heat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20heat. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
