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hard act to follow

Idioms

Also, tough act to follow. An outstanding performance or individual. For example, Lucy was a terrific group leader—hers is a hard act to follow, or Bob's record is excellent—it will be a tough act to follow. This expression, dating from about 1900, was originally used for a particularly good vaudeville act that made the next act look poor by comparison. It soon was extended to other enterprises.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The obvious fact that Gustavo Dudamel is a hard act to follow is something that has been concerning for the Los Angeles Philharmonic the last two and a half years.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 21, 2025

Alastair Campbell, who co-presents The Rest Is Politics podcast, said Lineker would be "a very hard act to follow", Sky News reported.

From BBC • Nov. 11, 2024

But that reflects high domestic ownership of government debt and ultra loose monetary policy - a hard act to follow with higher inflation.

From Reuters • Aug. 14, 2023

Still, her friends said, she will be a hard act to follow.

From New York Times • Feb. 14, 2023

I hope I can pay this forward, but it is a hard act to follow.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 9, 2021

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023