rise to the occasion

1. Show unexpected skill in dealing with a difficulty that arises, as in The leading man broke his leg in the first act but his understudy rose to the occasion and was rewarded with excellent reviews. [Mid-1800s]

Example Sentences

Against North Macedonia, his players showed how emphatically they can rise to the occasion.

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In this American moment, bad is good and shrewd operators know that if you throw in enough high-profile ingredients — Kardashian, Murphy, a bevy of fine actors — you needn’t take the trouble to ensure the mix will rise to the occasion.

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The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, on its website, urges air-traffic controllers to “rise to the occasion.”

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“So then we must ask ourselves, do we rise to the occasion? As always, time — and this author — will tell.”

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Because Blunt and Johnson are both great actors who can rise to the occasion, the viewer understands that Dawn and Mark love each other.

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