strength to strength

Meaning

1. 1phrasefixed phrase

   to become more and more successful or improve steadily over time

   Grammar: Used after 'go' or 'move': The company has gone from strength to strength.

   Patterns

   • go from strength to strength
   • move from strength to strength

   After a slow start, the business has gone from strength to strength and now has branches nationwide.

   Her career has gone from strength to strength since she won that award.

   The team's performance went from strength to strength throughout the season.

Common combinations

go from strength to strength

The charity has gone from strength to strength since its founding.

continue from strength to strength

The project continued from strength to strength despite early doubts.

move from strength to strength

After the merger, the company moved from strength to strength.

from strength to strength

The band's popularity grew from strength to strength with each album.

Synonyms and how they differ

flourish

Flourish means to grow or develop successfully, often used for plants or businesses, but it does not imply a step-by-step progression like 'strength to strength' does.

thrive

Thrive means to grow well or be successful, but it focuses on the state of success rather than the continuous improvement suggested by 'strength to strength'.

prosper

Prosper means to become successful, especially financially, but it is more formal and does not carry the idea of steady progress from one level to another.

Opposites

Commonly confused: strength to strength or strength?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “strength to strength”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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