get the green light
/ˌɡet ðə ˌɡriːn ˈlaɪt/NEUTRAL · B2
Meaning
to be given permission to start
Examples
- 1Our school finally got the green light to build a new science lab.
- 2If we get the green light from the bank, we'll open the café in May.
- 3After months of waiting, the festival got the green light from the council and ticket sales began.
- 4Has your plan to work from home on Fridays got the green light yet?
- 5We can't start painting the flats until we get the green light from the landlord.
Grammar
Only get changes: got, getting. The person or group who allows it follows from. The active form is give someone the green light.
More idioms about colours
All 20 idioms and the topic quiz →catch someone red-handedto find someone while they are doing something wrongin black and whitewritten down, so it is officiala red flaga sign that something may be wrong or dangerousroll out the red carpetto welcome a guest in a very special waytickled pinkvery pleasedhave green fingersto be good at making plants grow
English Idioms400 idioms in 20 topics — with reviews that keep them from fading
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