What Does "Raise the Bar" Mean?
"Raise the bar" is an English idiom. It means "to set higher standards, expectations, or goals; to strive for excellence and improvement."Examples in Sentences
Here are three examples of the idiom "raise the bar" used in a sentence:- The coach encouraged the team to raise the bar and aim for a championship victory.
- Innovation and competition in the industry have forced companies to constantly raise the bar.
- She believed in continuous self-improvement and consistently sought to raise the bar in her career.
What Is an Idiom?
An idiom is a commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its words. In other words, if you were to translate "Raise the Bar" word for word, there is no guarantee the translation would help you to understand the meaning.An idiom often includes a cultural or historical context that makes it difficult for non-native English speakers to understand. A phrase is classified as an idiom when a direct translation of the words does not reveal the meaning. Most idioms rely on shared knowledge or experiences known only to a specific community.
A Quick Test
You now know what "raise the bar" means, but are you good at English idioms? Let's see!


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