
IdiomDaily Life
English
pave the way
Meaning: To prepare the ground so that something can happen later.
Example: “The trial run paved the way for a full service.”
Origin: A paved road makes travel easy for whoever follows. The phrase is recorded in English from the 16th century.
Equivalents in other languages
Italian: preparare il terreno Literally: To prepare the ground
Swedish: kratta manegen Literally: To rake the arena
More English idioms
- drag one's feet To delay deliberately.
- be tone-deaf To be unable to tell musical notes apart; also, to have no sense of how others feel.
- throw dust in someone's eyes To mislead someone by distracting them.
- when pigs fly Never.
- lead someone up the garden path To deceive someone, keeping them hopeful along the way.
- packed like sardines Crowded very tightly together.
Explore another collection: Untranslatable Words
Words that capture a feeling or idea English needs a whole sentence for.
Keep exploring