{"id":10317,"date":"2022-11-02T20:18:52","date_gmt":"2022-11-02T20:18:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=10317"},"modified":"2022-11-02T20:18:52","modified_gmt":"2022-11-02T20:18:52","slug":"raise-the-bar-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/raise-the-bar-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Raise the Bar \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you looking for a catch way to tell someone you expect more? You could say you want to \u201craise the bar<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dive into the meaning and origin of this expression in this post. If you\u2019d like to use the phrase \u201craise the bar\u201d in a sentence, we\u2019ll also show you how.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

The phrase \u201cto raise the bar<\/strong>\u201d originated with high jumping competitions. It means to set an expectation of higher standards or better results<\/u>.<\/p>\n

This common expression can be neutral in tone, but calls to \u201craise the bar\u201d are also frequently motivational in nature.<\/p>\n

Example Usage<\/h2>\n

Would you like to incorporate the phrase \u201cto raise the bar\u201d into a sentence? We\u2019ll show you how it\u2019s done:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • \u201cOur team has under-performed all season. We need to raise the bar<\/strong> to have any chance of winning!\u201d<\/li>\n
  • \u201cThe recent influx of skilled workers has raised the bar<\/strong> across the industry, and we\u2019ll need to keep up with the times.\u201d<\/li>\n
  • \u201cWe did very well and exceeded all expectations. Let\u2019s raise the bar<\/strong> and do even better this coming month!\u201d<\/li>\n
  • \u201cYou may have raised the bar<\/strong> too high. If most students can\u2019t accomplish the tasks you set, you will need to rethink your strategy.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Origin<\/h2>\n

    The idiom \u201cto raise the bar<\/strong>\u201d emerged somewhere in the early 1900s<\/strong>. It is a sports reference.<\/p>\n

    \u201cRaising the bar\u201d refers to high jump competitions<\/strong>, in which bars are placed at a specific height to invite participants to jump over them.<\/p>\n

    Each round literally raises the bar, eliminating athletes who fail to make the jump in the process. Only the best manage to keep up as the bar is raised; only the best will win.<\/p>\n

    The phrase \u201cto raise the bar\u201d means setting higher standards for the future. The idiom is often used in competitive settings relating to sports, business, and education.<\/p>\n

    You can, however, use this phrase whenever you need to indicate increased ambitions, a higher standard, better quality, or bigger challenges ahead.<\/p>\n

    \u201cRaising the bar\u201d is a metaphor with a neutral tone. You can freely use it in both casual and formal contexts, in writing as well as verbally.<\/p>\n

    Phrases Similar to Raise the Bar<\/h2>\n

    Are you looking for another way to talk about setting higher standards? Instead of \u201craising the bar,\u201d you could also say:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Push the envelope<\/strong> \u2014 meaning to exceed existing limits.<\/li>\n
    • Go the extra mile<\/strong> \u2014 increasing your efforts to succeed.<\/li>\n
    • Go above and beyond<\/strong> \u2014 doing everything you can (and then some).<\/li>\n
    • Rise to the challenge<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      If you don\u2019t want to use idioms, you can also simply say \u201cincrease standards,\u201d \u201cdo better,\u201d or \u201craise expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n

      Phrases Opposite to Raise the Bar<\/h2>\n

      Lowering standards and accepting worse outcomes would be the opposite of raising the bar. You can turn to these idioms to help you out:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • Drop the ball <\/strong>\u2014 meaning failing or becoming complacent.<\/li>\n
      • Lose ground <\/strong>\u2014 meaning to fall behind.<\/li>\n
      • Back to square one<\/strong> \u2014 the failure was so complete you have to start from the beginning.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        If you simply need to keep doing what you\u2019re doing, you can talk about the need to \u201cmaintain the status quo<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

        What Is the Correct Saying?<\/h2>\n

        The correct saying is \u201cto raise the bar<\/strong>.\u201d This expression can be conjugated in any way, and means \u201cto increase standards\u201d or aim for better quality.<\/p>\n

        Ways People May Say Raise the Bar Incorrectly<\/h2>\n

        English learners may assume that the idiom \u201cto raise the bar\u201d is related to making a toast at a bar. This would be incorrect.<\/p>\n

        Some people believe that the idiom should only be used in competitive settings. That is not true either. You can use the saying \u201cto raise the bar\u201d whenever you describe setting higher expectations.<\/p>\n

        Acceptable Ways to Say Raise the Bar<\/h2>\n

        The idiom \u201cto raise the bar<\/strong>\u201d is a versatile one that immediately invokes a powerful idea. In the face of a new goal, participants will have to work harder and smarter to get better results.<\/p>\n

        Because it is neutral in tone, the phrase \u201cto raise the bar\u201d can be used in any setting.<\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Are you looking for a catch way to tell someone you expect more? You could say you want to \u201craise the bar.\u201d Dive into the meaning and origin of this expression in this post. If you\u2019d like to use the phrase \u201craise the bar\u201d in a sentence, we\u2019ll also show you how. Meaning The phrase […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10317"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10317"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10317\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10319,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10317\/revisions\/10319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}