The street lights turned on as darkness fell.

Meaning: This sentence describes the activation of street lights as night approaches.

Choice of Words: The verb "turned on" indicates that the street lights became active. The noun "darkness" refers to the absence of light. The verb "fell" is used figuratively to describe the arrival of darkness.

Alternative Expressions

As the night crept in, the street lamps illuminated the path.

Meaning: This means that as it got darker outside, the street lights were turned on, making the streets brighter and easier to see.

Choice of Words: Night refers to the period of time from sunset to sunrise when it's dark outside. Crept in is a figurative expression that suggests that the night gradually and quietly arrived. Street lamps are the same as street lights, and illuminated means to light up or make something brighter.

With the onset of twilight, the urban luminaires cast their glow upon the sidewalks.

Meaning: This means that as it started to get dark outside, the street lights were turned on, illuminating the sidewalks and making them easier to see.

Choice of Words: Twilight is the time of day when the sun is setting and it's getting dark. Onset means the beginning or start of something. Urban luminaires is a fancy way of saying street lights, and cast their glow means that they emitted light.

Related Expressions