THE IDIOM COLLECTION LEARN & PRACTISE
Break new ground
Understand the meaning. See it in context. Make it yours.
01 / UNDERSTAND
Meaning in plain English
To do or discover something new, rather than simply follow established methods.
02 / SEE IT IN CONTEXT
The expression in a sentence
- The student team hopes to break new ground with its recycling design.
03 / CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
Quick idiom quiz
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Can you recall the expression?
Complete the example using the expression from this lesson.
The student team hopes to ________ with its recycling design.
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Break new ground — To do or discover something new, rather than simply follow established methods.
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Make it yours
Write one sentence using “Break new ground” about your own life.
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Does your sentence match this meaning?
To do or discover something new, rather than simply follow established methods.
Compare: The student team hopes to break new ground with its recycling design.
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More ways to understand and use it
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When to use it
Use it for an innovative project, method or discovery. It suits work, study and general writing.
More examples in context
- Her research broke new ground in how the subject was taught.
- We do not need to break new ground with every project; sometimes a reliable method is enough.
Usage note
Keep new in the idiom. Break ground without new can refer to starting construction, which is a different meaning.
A short conversation
A: Will this project use the usual teaching method?
B: No, we hope to break new ground with an approach we have not tried before.
A: Let us agree how to evaluate it.
One more practice question
Which project breaks new ground?
A. A project that develops a genuinely new method.
B. A project that repeats an established method without changes.
Check your answer
A. Breaking new ground involves innovation or discovery.
Related lessons
Meaning and usage checked against Cambridge Dictionary. Explanations, examples and conversation are original.