to raise the bar
16
4.0
- phrasal verb
- /reɪz ðə bɑr/
:
subir el listón
- By introducing new technology in the classroom, we can raise the bar for student engagement and learning.
- raise the bar of conversation
When you subscribe to this show, you're helping us raise the bar.
- When you subscribe to this show, you're helping us raise the bar.
- And then they by themselves start raising the bar.
- Would you ever feel pressure try to constantly raise the bar to get laughs and get the wow factor, the shock factor?
- And I come in as an outsider and do my best to either raise the bar or keep on par with the expectations that WWE fans have.
- I mean, my new tour is, it's called the Bucket List Tour, and good God, did I raise the bar for that.
- And then we would raise the bar at at different like levels.
- Not only were they never going to be met because I would keep raising the bar, but they were getting in the way of doing the thing that I value.
Examples
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What with the support of my studio, and the stellar cast we have in place, we are ensuring that this movie raises the bar on this franchise.
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When we all raise our moral standards, that raises the bar for this country.
Blog text (23) -
Think we should raise the bar in here a little bit tonight, folks.
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I thought you hired me because you wanted to raise the bar.
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Let's raise the bar, make it worth our while.
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Such experiences allow a much fuller opportunity to raise the bar on knowledge building.
Academic text (2014) -
TED talks are going viral, and they're raising the bar on public speaking.
Blog text (29) -
We pride ourselves that in every co-teaching experience, we are raising the bar on higher-level thinking.
Academic text (2009) -
The Nexus 4, priced at $299, raises the bar for all smartphone manufacturers in a big way.
Blog text (24) -
To improve the city's education system, we need to raise the bar for teacher qualifications.
Synonyms
1
3.9
Make a high goal for others to reach
Make standards or expectations higher
Change the rules or standards so doing well becomes harder
How Demanding
Surface Forms
Morphology
The verb 'raise' (increase) combined with 'bar' (a threshold or standard) produces a clear metaphor: literally lifting a bar to make a jump harder, so figuratively setting a higher standard. However, the sense of 'bar' as a figurative standard is somewhat figurative and may not be immediately obvious to all B1 learners without exposure, so the relation is partly inferable but not fully transparent.
Etymology
The idiom raise the bar likely comes from sports like the high jump, where people raise the bar to make the jump harder. So it now means 'to set a higher standard'.