Meaning & use
breaking the barriers
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Meanings
phraseidiomfigurative
removing things that stop people from communicating, progressing, or being equal
Grammar: Often used with 'down': breaking down the barriers. It can take an object like 'breaking the barriers of language'.
Patterns
- breaking the barriers between people
- breaking down the barriers
- breaking the barriers of something
The new exchange program is breaking the barriers between the two communities.
Technology is breaking the barriers that once limited education.
Her research is breaking the barriers of what we thought was possible.
phraseidiomfigurative
getting past limits or difficulties that block success
Grammar: Often used in business or sports to talk about overcoming obstacles.
Patterns
- breaking the barriers to success
- breaking the barriers of tradition
The team is breaking the barriers to innovation in the industry.
They are breaking the barriers of traditional design.
Breaking the barriers to trade can help smaller companies.
Common combinations
- breaking down barriers
- The festival is breaking down barriers between generations.
- breaking the barriers between
- The project is breaking the barriers between art and science.
- breaking the barriers of
- She is breaking the barriers of gender in engineering.
- breaking the barriers to
- New laws are breaking the barriers to equal pay.
Synonyms and how they differ
- removing obstacles
- More literal and general; it can refer to physical or abstract things, while 'breaking the barriers' is usually figurative and social.
- overcoming barriers
- Focuses on succeeding despite barriers, while 'breaking the barriers' focuses on getting rid of them.
- breaking down walls
- A similar metaphor but often about emotional or communication barriers, sometimes more dramatic.
Opposites
Word family
- barrier noun
- something that blocks movement or progress
Commonly confused: breaking the barriers or breaking barriers?
breaking the barriers vs breaking barriers
This is the more common short form; 'breaking the barriers' adds 'the' and often points to specific barriers already mentioned.
Practice
The exchange program is ______ the barriers between the two communities.
Choose one answer.
'Breaking the barriers' means removing them, which fits the positive work of the program. 'Building' would mean creating barriers, the opposite idea. 'Making' and 'taking' do not collocate with 'barriers' in this sense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “breaking the barriers”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.