Meaning & use
expanding your horizons
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Meaning
phraseidiom
the act of widening your experience, knowledge, or understanding by trying new things
Grammar: Used with a possessive adjective before 'horizons': expanding my/your/his horizons.
Patterns
- expanding your horizons
- expanding my horizons
- expanding someone's horizons
Expanding your horizons can lead to unexpected opportunities.
She believes that expanding her horizons through travel is essential.
The program is designed for students interested in expanding their horizons.
Common combinations
- expanding your horizons
- Expanding your horizons is a key part of personal growth.
- expanding my horizons
- I love expanding my horizons by trying new hobbies.
- expanding someone's horizons
- The mentor focused on expanding his students' horizons.
Synonyms and how they differ
- broadening your horizons
- This is a more common variant with the same meaning; 'expanding' is slightly more literal.
- widening your experience
- Emphasizes gaining experience rather than knowledge or understanding.
Opposites
Commonly confused: expanding your horizons or horizon?
expanding your horizons 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
Which sentence uses 'expanding your horizons' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrase acts as a singular subject, so it takes the singular verb 'is'. Option 1 has a plural verb, option 3 adds an unnecessary 'to do it', and option 4 lacks a verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “expanding your horizons”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.