Idiom Topics
The Ubiquitous Essentials
10- On the other hand
- At the end of the day
- In the long run
- Bear in mind
- A piece of cake
- Keep an eye on
- Out of the blue
- Rule of thumb
- So far, so good
- Behind the scenes
Everyday Casual & Workplace
10- Under the weather
- Call it a day
- Up in the air
- Wrap your head around
- Break the ice
- Get out of hand
- Go the extra mile
- Touch base
- Hit the nail on the head
- Cut corners
Problem Solving & Interaction
10- See eye to eye
- Read between the lines
- Take it with a grain of salt
- Get the hang of it
- Give the benefit of the doubt
- The elephant in the room
- Hit the ground running
- Play it by ear
- Bite the bullet
- Sit on the fence
Decisions & Perspectives
9- Jump on the bandwagon
- Cross that bridge when we come to it
- The best of both worlds
- A blessing in disguise
- Once in a blue moon
- Pull someone's leg
- Miss the boat
- Better late than never
- Get your act together
Colorful & Traditional
10- Spill the beans
- Let the cat out of the bag
- Bite off more than you can chew
- Go back to the drawing board
- Barking up the wrong tree
- Actions speak louder than words
- A penny for your thoughts
- Break a leg
- Hit the sack
- Beat around the bush
Academic & Formal Discourse
10- Bear fruit
- Pave the way
- Shed light on
- Go hand in hand
- Tip the scales
- Fly in the face of
- Bring to the table
- Turn a blind eye
- Draw a blank
- State of the art
Emotions & Reactions
10- Over the moon
- Down in the dumps
- On edge
- Blow off steam
- Keep your cool
- Drive someone up the wall
- On cloud nine
- A weight off my shoulders
- At your wits' end
- Thrilled to bits
Effort, Success, & Failure
10- Start from scratch
- Pass with flying colors
- Fall flat
- Go down the drain
- Keep your head above water
- Pay off
- Throw in the towel
- Make headway
- Uphill battle
- Back to square one
Time, Speed, & Urgency
10- Beat the clock
- At the eleventh hour
- Around the clock
- In the nick of time
- Drag your feet
- Time flies
- Make up for lost time
- Call time on
- Ahead of the curve
- On the spur of the moment
Resources, Money, & Value
10- Make ends meet
- Foot the bill
- Break the bank
- Tighten your belt
- Bang for your buck
- A drop in the ocean
- Make a killing
- On a shoestring budget
- Worth your weight in gold
- Pay top dollar
Pave the way
Learn the meaning, origin, and usage of the idiom "Pave the way" with five example sentences across different contexts. This idiom is part of ourAcademic & Formal Discourse collection for PTE and IELTS preparation.
Pave the way
To create a situation that makes it easier for someone else to do something or for something specific to happen in the future.
History & Origin
This idiom stems from the literal practice of ancient road-building, most notably by the Romans, who laid down flat stones to create smooth, reliable paths for their armies and traders. Before these engineering marvels, travel across rugged, muddy terrain was incredibly slow and treacherous. Over time, the physical act of preparing a smooth road evolved into a metaphor for making future progress or success easier for others.
Examples
The successful launch of our pilot program last quarter will pave the way for expanding our operations into the European market next year.
My older sister really paved the way for me at university; because she did so well, all the professors in the department already think highly of our family.
The discovery of structure-specific cellular receptors paved the way for the development of modern targeted gene therapies.
The bilateral trade agreement signed yesterday is expected to pave the way for a lasting peace treaty between the two neighboring nations.
We honor the tireless activists of the past century who paved the way for the civil liberties and democratic rights we enjoy today.
Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses the idiom correctly?
A. After hours of heavy rain, the thick mud completely paved the way, forcing the hikers to turn back.
B. The ground-breaking research conducted by Dr. Silva paved the way for future scientists to develop a permanent cure.
C. Please pave the way by using a broom to clean up the shattered glass before someone steps on it.
D. I need to pave the way my car into the narrow garage because the driveway is currently blocked by delivery boxes.