set the pace

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

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Verb

set the pace (third-person singular simple present sets the pace, present participle setting the pace, simple past and past participle set the pace)

1. To establish the speed for a group to move at, for example in a race.
2. (idiomatic) To establish a common goal by example.

   In May 2003, South Africa set the pace by banning thin plastic bags and imposing a tax on thick ones.

   • 2025 December 11, Charlie Campbell, Andrew R. Chow and Billy Perrigo, “The Architects of AI Are TIME’s 2025 Person of the Year”, in Time‎^[1]:

     OpenAI, which ignited the boom, continues to set the pace in many ways. Usage of ChatGPT more than doubled, to 10% of the world’s population.

See also

• set the tone