phrasal verb · neutral
set the bar
UK/sɛt ðə bɑː(r)/US/sɛt ðə bɑr/set·the·BAR
to establish a standard or level that others should reach
Examples
“The university's new requirements set the bar higher for applicants.”
“Good teachers set the bar early so students know what's expected.”
“Innovative companies often set the bar for the whole industry.”
Band 8 sentence
“By requiring both interviews and portfolios, the faculty has set the bar for admissions considerably higher.”
Collocations
- set the bar high
- raise/set the bar
Word family
Common mistakes
set bar→set the bar
set the bar highly→set the bar high
made the bar→set the bar
Say it for a higher band
5set→6raise the standard→7+set the bar
Synonyms
raise the standard
establish a standard
Easily confused
raise the bar
“By introducing stricter exams, the board effectively raised the bar for all students.”
set standards
“The new policy sets standards for food safety across the country.”
Related words
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