Meaning & use
a team effort
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
Something achieved by several people working together rather than by one person alone.
Grammar: Used after linking verbs like be, become, or seem: 'It was a team effort.'
Patterns
- something is a team effort
- something takes a team effort
- make it a team effort
Winning the championship was a team effort, not just the star player's doing.
Getting the report finished on time took a real team effort from everyone in the office.
The teacher told the class that tidying the room should be a team effort.
phrasefixed phrase
Used to share credit or praise among all the people involved in something.
Grammar: Often said after receiving an award or compliment, to thank the group rather than yourself.
Patterns
- call something a team effort
- describe something as a team effort
In her speech she called the project a team effort and thanked every volunteer.
The coach described the victory as a team effort and refused to single anyone out.
Common combinations
- be a team effort
- Fixing the garden was a team effort by the whole family.
- take a team effort
- Rebuilding the bridge took a team effort over many months.
- a real team effort
- Passing the inspection was a real team effort by the staff.
- call it a team effort
- When he won the prize, he called it a team effort.
- a huge team effort
- Organizing the festival was a huge team effort.
Synonyms and how they differ
- a joint effort
- Very close in meaning, but it stresses that two or more parties did it together, often formally or officially.
- a group effort
- Similar, but it emphasizes the group as a unit rather than the cooperation between its members.
- collaboration
- A noun for working together, often used for creative or professional work rather than a single result.
Opposites
Word family
- teamwork noun
- The general activity of working well together as a group.
- team player noun
- A person who cooperates well with others in a group.
Commonly confused: a team effort or teamwork?
a team effort vs teamwork
'Teamwork' is the uncountable noun for the activity; 'a team effort' describes one particular result or task done together. Say 'Teamwork is important,' but 'Winning was a team effort.'
Practice
The manager praised the staff and said the success was ______.
Choose one answer.
The fixed phrase needs the article 'a' before 'team effort' when it describes one shared achievement. 'Team effort' without an article sounds incomplete, and 'the team effort' would point to one specific effort already mentioned.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a team effort”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.