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
Mariska Hargitay and her son August Hermann take a break from the heat on the set of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit on July 30 in New York.
—
Alexandra Schonfeld, People.com, 1 Aug. 2025
The National Weather Service in Miami will issue a heat advisory if the heat index is 105 degrees for at least a couple of hours.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 1 Aug. 2025
Daily record high temperatures were set at LaGuardia Airport (99 degrees) and Atlantic City, New Jersey (97) on July 30, while heat indices – what the heat feels like – reached triple digits in some areas, the National Weather Service said.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 31 July 2025
Mississippi is also facing dangerous heat, with humidity and high temperatures pushing the heat index to the top of the scale.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for the heat
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Alexandra Schonfeld, People.com, 1 Aug. 2025
The National Weather Service in Miami will issue a heat advisory if the heat index is 105 degrees for at least a couple of hours.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 1 Aug. 2025
Daily record high temperatures were set at LaGuardia Airport (99 degrees) and Atlantic City, New Jersey (97) on July 30, while heat indices – what the heat feels like – reached triple digits in some areas, the National Weather Service said.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 31 July 2025
Mississippi is also facing dangerous heat, with humidity and high temperatures pushing the heat index to the top of the scale.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 July 2025
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 4 Aug. 2025.
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