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to change lives

to change lives

15 3.4
To make a big positive difference to people's lives
  • phrasal verb
: cambiar vidas
  • I'm forever grateful your course is changing lives and you are a great man for that.
  • change lives forever
  • help change lives
  • education changes lives

Those things can be amazing, change lives, save lives.

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Examples

  • School libraries build futures and can change lives in deep and impactful ways.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Whether it's hosting an event, cooking, cleaning, organizing, or just eating, your help will undoubtedly change lives.

    Blog text (23)
  • My focus is I have a knowledge and information that I know that can change lives, not just one life, not just like lives.

  • Those things can be amazing, change lives, save lives.

  • It's powerful because people change lives for the good.

  • I just hope to be able to change lives how I changed mine.

  • Come be a part of something important... something that changes lives.

    Blog text (26)
  • I love doing these free trainings because they change lives and this one is going to change yours.

  • On the side, I serve on the board of a non-profit changing lives through teaching values to at-risk youth.

    Blog text (28)
  • The organization's mission is to change lives by providing education and support to those in need.

Synonyms

to affect
vsto change lives
∞ 3.0

To cause a change in a person or thing

is specifically a positive, transformative impact on people's wellbeing
to make a difference
vsto change lives
612 2.8

Cause a clear, positive change in a situation or person

is stronger and more deeply transformative for people's wellbeing
to change someone's life
vsto change lives
334 3.0

To make a big and lasting difference in someone's life

is specifically positive and transformative rather than neutral

Antonyms

500 1.0

To cause a bad effect on people or things

How Likely

to change lives
15 3.4
to spark
216 3.4
to propose
956 3.0

Surface Forms

change lives infinitive
changed lives past participle
changing lives present participle
changes lives third person singular

Morphology

change + life

The meaning 'to have a significant transformative effect on people' is directly derivable from 'change' (to alter or transform) + 'lives' (people's existence). This is a straightforward, compositional verb + object phrase found across languages and follows familiar semantic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily understand it.

Etymology

The phrase change lives comes from the picture of moving someone from a dark room into sunlight: to change people's lives is like giving them a new path or chance. That's why it means 'make a big difference' in how people live.