LIGHT UPON

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does light upon mean? 

• LIGHT UPON (verb)
  The verb LIGHT UPON has 1 sense:

1. find unexpectedly

  Familiarity information: LIGHT UPON used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• LIGHT UPON (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Find unexpectedly

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

attain; chance on; chance upon; come across; come upon; discover; fall upon; happen upon; light upon; strike

Context example:

The hikers finally struck the main path to the lake

Hypernyms (to "light upon" is one way to...):

find; regain (come upon after searching; find the location of something that was missed or lost)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

Then I tried alternate words, but neither ‘The of for’ nor ‘supply game London’ promised to throw any light upon it.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Edward have got some business at Oxford, he says; so he must go there for a time; and after THAT, as soon as he can light upon a Bishop, he will be ordained.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

This throws new light upon the matter.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Van Helsing sits in my study poring over the record prepared by the Harkers; he seems to think that by accurate knowledge of all details he will light upon some clue.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

His face wore an absent expression, as of deep thought, and I became afraid that if his eyes did light upon me he would nevertheless not see me.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Looking back at the evening which you spent together, does anything stand out in your memory as throwing any possible light upon the tragedy?

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Harrison, you can throw a light upon this.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“But I wish the day were over, for it will be an ill thing for us if they chance to light upon us.”

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The other, a mere blur of light upon the darkness, indicated the position of the anchored ship.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

That was last Friday, Mr. Holmes, and I have never seen or heard anything since then to throw any light upon what became of him.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)