Meanings
present singular third person raises the bar · participle present raising the bar · participle past raised the bar · past raised the bar
- idiomaticTo raise standards or expectations, especially by creating something to a higher standard.
Acme's new technology will raise the bar for the entire industry.
Synonyms: lift the bar · Antonyms: lower the bar
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo raise standards or expectations, especially by creating something to a higher standard.
Translations
Bulgarian да вди́гна ле́твата
- да вди́гна ле́твата (da vdígna létvata)to raise standards
Finnish nostaa rimaa
- nostaa rimaato raise standards
French mettre la barre plus haut
- mettre la barre plus hautto raise standards
Hungarian megemeli a mércét
- megemeli a mércétto raise standards
Italian alzare l'asticella
- alzare l'asticellato raise standards
Polish podnosić poprzeczkę, podnieść poprzeczkę
- podnosić poprzeczkęto raise standards
- podnieść poprzeczkęto raise standards
Portuguese levantar o padrão
- levantar o padrãoto raise standards
Russian подня́ть планку
- подня́ть планку (podnjátʹ planku)to raise standards
Swedish höja ribban
- höja ribbanto raise standards
Cite this entry
raise the bar. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/raise%20the%20bar
“raise the bar.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/raise%20the%20bar. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “raise the bar,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/raise%20the%20bar.
Source: raise the bar on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.