Meaning & use
expand my horizon
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Meaning
phraseidiom
to widen your experience, knowledge, or understanding by trying new things
Grammar: Used with a possessive adjective before 'horizon': expand my/your/his horizons.
Patterns
- expand my horizon
- expand your horizon
- expand someone's horizon
Studying abroad really helped me expand my horizon.
Reading books from other cultures can expand your horizon.
She took a cooking class to expand her horizon beyond familiar dishes.
Common combinations
- expand your horizon
- Travel is a great way to expand your horizon.
- expand my horizon
- I want to expand my horizon by learning a new language.
- expand someone's horizon
- The internship expanded his horizon in ways he hadn't expected.
Synonyms and how they differ
- broaden your horizons
- This is the more common and standard wording; 'expand my horizon' is also used but sounds slightly less idiomatic.
- widen your experience
- Focuses on gaining experience rather than knowledge or understanding.
Opposites
Commonly confused: expand my horizon or horizon?
expand my horizon vs horizon
As a noun, 'horizon' means the line where the sky meets the land; in this idiom it means the limit of your knowledge or experience.
Practice
Complete the sentence: 'Joining the debate club helped me ______ my horizon.'
Choose one answer.
'Expand' means to make wider or larger, which fits the idiom. 'Expend' means to use up or spend, 'extend' means to make longer, and 'expose' means to uncover or reveal — none fit the meaning of broadening experience.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “expand my horizon”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.