How to Use lighten up in a Sentence

lighten up

verb
  • The east breeze will lighten up.
    — Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 19 May 2026
  • From here on out, the schedule should lighten up a lot.
    — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 15 Aug. 2025
  • My voice of reason is, like, lighten up.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Dec. 2025
  • Covering up that much of the dark wood floor lightened up the space a lot.
    — Meghan Holloran, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 May 2025
  • Pearls are classic and might lighten up the edge that the cargos bring.
    — Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 23 July 2024
  • A bit of texture and loose, beachy waves lighten up even the thickest locks.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 16 June 2026
  • The cheesecake filling is rich and dense but it is lightened up by the fresh fruit.
    — Phoebe Evans, Southern Living, 29 May 2026
  • The neutral-to-cool light brown is lightened up with a neutral beige shade.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 4 Apr. 2026
  • This jacket come in many colors and is an easy way to lighten up your wardrobe with spring hues.
    — Nora Colomer, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • This recipe is lightened up with a broth finish and loads of fresh herbs instead of a heavy creamy soup.
    — Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2026
  • Kelce lightened up the moment by running to give Bieber a hug.
    — Charmaine Patterson, Peoplemag, 7 Apr. 2023
  • The Lume Cube clamps to your desk frame and lightens up your office.
    — Scott Gilbertson, WIRED, 13 July 2023
  • There should be some regression to the mean as the schedule lightens up.
    — The Courier-Journal, 25 Jan. 2024
  • As winter starts to wind down, Lee is lightening up with pale blue jeans.
    — Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 7 Feb. 2025
  • Wear one with boots now and lighten up with sneakers or sandals once warmer weather hits.
    — Jamie Allison Sanders, People.com, 12 Feb. 2025
  • Fresh lemon zest and black pepper lighten up the cheesy dip and the base is made from both cream cheese and feta.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 2 Feb. 2025
  • As that changes, the color will also change, and the sky may lighten up later in the day.
    — Kellie Hwang, SFChronicle.com, 9 Sep. 2020
  • But lightening up your home accents with the warmer weather isn’t the it thing to do this year.
    — Lauren Thomann, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Northerly breezes lighten up a bit, capping their gusts to around 10 mph.
    — A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2023
  • The shadowy path to Tozawa may have just lightened up a little.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2024
  • After you get done telling ghost stories, lighten up the mood with this jam about the afterlife.
    — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, 28 Oct. 2022
  • But Young wants to see officials lighten up on bench warnings.
    — sun-sentinel.com, 29 Dec. 2020
  • Creams that boast retinol and brightening agents are great for lightening up dark circles.
    — Sophie Dodd, Peoplemag, 6 Nov. 2023
  • April and May are good months to visit as rain begins to lighten up and spring has fully sprung.
    — Michelle Arellano Martin, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Mix and match shades of mustard, turquoise, maroon, green, and yellow to lighten up a neutral nail.
    — Audrey Noble, Vogue, 8 Mar. 2026
  • Cover the alcove in colorful tile to lighten up a space that can quickly feel dark.
    — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Over the weekend, winds will lighten up as temperatures rise.
    — Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
  • Nothing too dramatic, just a little dose of laughter to lighten up your day.
    — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
  • While lightening up on the keto plan with fruit sounds like a good idea, fruit can be high in carbohydrates.
    — Gabrielle Kassel, Health, 27 July 2023
  • After dinner, the vibes lighten up — the ladies hit the pool, while Angela ducks off to wash her face and call it a night.
    — Shelby Stewart, Essence, 27 Apr. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lighten up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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