set the pace
To establish the speed, level of skill, or standard of quality (that everyone else will or should try to follow or emulate). The new saleswoman blew away everyone else's weekly averages, setting the pace for the entire team. With their dedication to quality and beautiful design, they've been setting the pace in the industry for the past decade.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
set the pace
Establish a standard for others to follow, as in Jim has set the pace for the department, exceeding the monthly quota every time. This expression comes from racing, where it is said of a horse that passes the others and leads the field. It was transferred to other activities in the early 1900s.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
set the pace
COMMON If you set the pace, you do something which becomes the standard or level that other people must achieve. Most fashion journalists believe that Versace has got it right this season and has set the pace for mainstream fashion. In a deal that could set the pace in forthcoming pay deals, the 700,000 chemical workers settled for a 2 percent increase in pay. Note: This expression comes from the fact that a fast runner sets the speed at which all the other competitors in a race have to run.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
set the pace
1 start a race as the fastest. 2 lead the way in doing or achieving something.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
set the ˈpace
do something at a speed which other people must follow if they want to be successful; lead by being better, cleverer, more original, etc. than other people: Jones set the pace in the 5 000 metres. ♢ This new style of bicycle has really set the pace for the rest of the industry. ▶ ˈpacesetter noun: Richard Rogers is a pacesetter in modern architecture.In athletics, one person in a race sets the pace for the other competitors by running faster than them.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
set the pace
1. To go at a speed that other competitors attempt to match or surpass.
2. To behave or perform in a way that others try to emulate.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.