Meaning & Origin

“Raise the bar” means to set a new, higher standard — pushing expectations upward for what counts as good enough. The image comes from high‑jump or pole‑vault events where the bar is literally raised to increase difficulty.

Pronunciation Guide

• raise — rhymes with “ways.”
• the — often “thuh.”
• bar — long “ar,” like “car.”
• Natural rhythm: RAISE the BAR.

Usage & Sentence Examples

Use it when someone improves quality or demands better results.

• Her clean layout raised the bar for future newsletters.
• That cafe raised the bar for brunch in our neighborhood.
• The coach raised the bar by upping practice intensity.
• Their accessibility work raised the bar across the industry.
• Parents say the new playground has raised the bar for safety.
• Adding live captions raised the bar for our events.

Synonyms

set a higher standard · up the standard · raise expectations · level up · take it up a notch · push the envelope