shed light on, to
shed (some) light on something
and throw (some) light on somethingFig. to reveal something about something; to clarify something. (Also with any.) This discussion has shed some light on the problem. Let's see if Ann can throw any light on this question.
See also: light, on, shed
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
shed light on
Also, throw light on. Clarify or explain, as in I was hoping the professor would shed light on how he arrived at his theory, or Can anyone throw some light on where these plants came from? Originally, from about 1200, these expressions were used literally, in the sense of "illuminate," but they soon were used figuratively as well.
See also: light, on, shed
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
throw (or cast or shed) light on
help to explain (something) by providing further information about it.See also: light, on, throw
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
shed light on, to
To explain or clarify. This term was used literally, in the sense of illuminating something, from the fourteenth century. In the fifteenth century light came to be used figuratively for “understanding.” George J. Adler used the expression in his translation of Fauriel’s History of Provençal Poetry (1860): “On these antecedents that I shall first endeavor to shed some light.”
See also: light, shed
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- go light on (something)
- cast/shed/throw light on something
- cast
- cast (some) light on (something)
- cast (some) light upon (something)
- flash (something) at (someone or something)
- flash at
- be light on
- be light on (something)
- be light on something