Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

pave the way

/ˈpeɪv ðə ˈweɪ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.21 in modern English

Syllables: pave the way
IPA: /ˈpeɪv ðə ˈweɪ/

24

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

1

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To make future progress or development easier.

Example Sentences

"Germany's development of rocket weapons paved the way for human controlled spaceflight."
"A perverting of this Firſt and Original Chriſtian Principle, by Political and Aſpiring Church-Guides, […] did not only pave the way for Popery, but both laid the Foundation thereof and finiſh'd its Superſtructure: […]"
"The gratification of one inordinate pursuit paves the way for another; and no sooner is the present vain wish indulged, than a future imagined necessity arises, equally importunate."
"Prince Louis Napoleon was president of France, and his dictatorial behaviour was paving the way for his assumption of the imperial crown."
"As we have seen, some of the women active before the feminist movement showed a concern for women's oppression and rights and helped pave the way for the exploration of women's issues in performance."
"The film industry's current use of storyboards as a preproduction, pre-visualization tool owes its humble beginnings to the original Sunday comics. Pioneers like Winsor McKay,^([sic – meaning McCay]) whose Gertie the Dinosaur […] and animation of the Sinking of the Lusitania (1915) established him as the true originator of the animated cartoon as an art form. He paved the way for [Walt] Disney and others."

Etymology

From the idea that once a paved path has been laid, travel on the route is easier and smoother for others.

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /ˈpeɪv ðə ˈweɪ/

Inflected Forms

paves the way (present, singular) paving the way (participle, present) paved the way (participle, past) paved the way (past)

Synonyms

grease the wheels set the stage prepare the ground

Questions

How do you pronounce pave the way?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpeɪv ðə ˈweɪ/.
What does pave the way mean?: To make future progress or development easier.
Where does pave the way come from?: From the idea that once a paved path has been laid, travel on the route is easier and smoother for others.

How to pronounce pave the way

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