idiom
Keep the Lights On
keep thuh LYTS on
/kiːp ðə laɪts ɒn/Listen
Hear it in a clear American voice. Slow it down to catch each syllable.
Syllable breakdown
keepthelightson
Dictionary meaning
To maintain existing systems and operations running smoothly, as opposed to working on new development or innovation
History and origin
From the literal act of ensuring electricity supply; widely used in IT and business operations
Examples
- Most of the engineering team's time is spent keeping the lights on rather than building new features.
- A robust MLOps platform reduces the effort needed to keep the lights on for production models.
Learn one new pronunciation a day
Get a word, name or idiom like “Keep the Lights On” in your inbox — daily or weekly, free. Unsubscribe any time.
Something wrong? Suggest a correction