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Synonyms

pave the way

Idioms  

  1. Make progress or development easier, as in Her findings paved the way for developing a new vaccine. This expression alludes to paving a road so it is easier to travel on. [Late 1500s]

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.

That could mark a “major inflection point” for Apple shares and pave the way for roughly 20% of the world’s population to access AI on an Apple device in the coming years.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

“Policy actions to fundamentally improve JPY’s outlook include a hawkish BOJ to pave the way for positive real yields, a commitment to fiscal discipline, and capital flow measures to improve FX demand-supply imbalance,” Chew adds.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

Paramount Skydance has asked the Federal Communications Commission for permission to exceed foreign ownership rules for U.S. media companies to pave the way for its takeover of Warner Bros.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026

Rather, the vouchers pave the way for a quicker review process, which might take weeks instead of months.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

For his part, he did his best to pave the way for me.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.