light a fire under (someone)

idiom

US, informal

: to cause (someone) to move or work more quickly and effectively

I've never seen him work so hard. Someone must have lit a fire under him.

Examples of light a fire under (someone) in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That’s what happened Friday night as a nudge from Reeve helped light a fire under Collier during a key stretch of the second quarter as Minnesota overcame a slow start to down the Los Angeles Sparks 81-76 at Target Center. —Frank Rajkowski, Twin Cities, 14 June 2024

Pitino drew criticism for his post-game tirade but has since claimed it was measured, intended to light a fire under his players. —Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 12 Mar. 2024

While Ellis’s ensemble doesn’t lag behind the play, neither are they quite pushed to light a fire under it. —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 8 Mar. 2024

The walk to the beach takes around 15 minutes, and the sight of the ocean ahead, in a dip between two green hills, will light a fire under anybody. —Jo Rodgers, Vogue, 3 May 2024

And that's not even including the saintly mamas who have died to light a fire under their sons (hi, Thor and Shang-Chi). —Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 13 July 2022

But any scenes pairing Mendes with Olin and Tomei, both captivating performers in their respective roles, truly light a fire under the proceedings, making the dialogue crackle and the connective conflicts percolate. —Courtney Howard, Variety, 7 Feb. 2024

And that will light a fire under emerging-market bonds. —Brett Owens, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023

But their actions did also help light a fire under striking actors who’ve showed up to picket across Los Angeles and New York City. —Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2023