idiom · neutral
raise the bar
UK/reɪz ðə bɑː/US/reɪz ðə bɑr/raise·the·BAR
to increase standards or expectations
Examples
“The university has raised the bar for admission by increasing its entry requirements.”
“Companies that continually raise the bar force competitors to improve.”
“Teachers should raise the bar gradually so students can adapt.”
Band 8 sentence
“To remain competitive, universities must continuously raise the bar in both teaching quality and research output.”
Collocations
- raise the bar for
- continually raise the bar
- raise the bar higher
Word family
Common mistakes
raise up the bar→raise the bar
raise a bar→raise the bar
increase the bar→raise the bar
Say it for a higher band
5improve→6increase standards→7+raise the bar
Synonyms
set higher standards
increase standards
Easily confused
set the bar
“The new safety regulations set the bar for manufacturers in the industry.”
Related words
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