light up
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle up
Meanings
Become bright or animated
Why “up”? Rising into view. What comes up becomes present and visible.
“Her face lit up at the news.”
“The street lit up when the festival lights came on.”
Test yourself
“Her face lit up at the news.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
blow up
Same up pattern: appearance
Explode or be destroyed by an explosion; Inflate something by filling it with air; Suddenly become very angry; Enlarge a photograph or image; (of a storm or argument) develop quickly into something serious
bring up
Same up pattern: appearance
Mention or raise a topic
call up
Same up pattern: appearance
Telephone someone; Order someone to join military service; Display information on a screen or computer; Bring a memory or feeling vividly to mind; Select a player for a higher-level team
catch up
Same up pattern: appearance
Reach the same level or position as someone ahead; Get up to date with news, work or events you have missed; (of bad behaviour or neglect) start to have unavoidable consequences; Spend time talking to a friend after a period apart
clear up
Same up pattern: appearance
Tidy a place by putting things away; (of weather) become bright and dry after rain or cloud; Resolve a misunderstanding or doubt by explaining it; (of an illness, rash or symptom) disappear or get better; Solve a mystery or unsolved problem
come up
Same up pattern: appearance
Arise as a topic or event
crop up
Same up pattern: appearance
Appear unexpectedly in a situation
cut up
Same up pattern: appearance
Cut something into smaller pieces; Make someone deeply upset or distressed; Behave in a wild or noisy way to attract attention; Overtake another driver suddenly and dangerously
Practice “light up” in Sink In
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