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set the pace

Idioms

Establish a standard for others to follow, as in Jim has set the pace for the department, exceeding the monthly quota every time. This expression comes from racing, where it is said of a horse that passes the others and leads the field. It was transferred to other activities in the early 1900s.

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 rate matters because it helps set the pace of economic growth.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

From sports retail to healthcare equipment, global companies are grappling with the same question: how to compete in a market where domestic players set the pace, consumers demand constant adjustment and loyalty is increasingly transactional.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 23, 2025

In the United States, California has set the pace, enacting a series of laws in 2024 that make transparency and integrity in AI use not just ethical ideals, but a legal requirement.

From Salon • Nov. 29, 2025

McLaren's title contenders Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri struggled in first practice at the Las Vegas Grand Prix as Ferrari's Charles Leclerc set the pace.

From BBC • Nov. 20, 2025

Immediate needs set the pace of his parents’ lives.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez

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