break the mold
Reject the template
To break the mold is to do something in a new way, departing from established patterns or conventions.
The phrase comes from casting—once a mold is broken, no more identical copies can be made.
Someone who breaks the mold refuses to follow precedent: She broke the mold by becoming the first woman in the role.
The expression also appears as they broke the mold when they made him, suggesting someone is uniquely remarkable.
Introducing radical new ideas
- revolutionarySeeking fundamental systemic change
- disruptiveTending to interrupt order
- visionaryImaginative planner of futures
- inventiveShowing original thought
cutting-edge · breakthrough · transformational · game-changer · avant-garde · progressive · novel · ingenious
First to forge ahead
- pioneerEarly explorer or settler
- maverickIndependent-minded rule-breaker
- iconoclastAttacker of cherished beliefs
- rebelAuthority defier
nonconformist · eccentric · heretic · deviant · outlier · dissident · freethinker · contrarian
groundbreaking
Introducing radical new ideas
- revolutionarySeeking fundamental systemic change
- disruptiveTending to interrupt order
- visionaryImaginative planner of futures
inventive · cutting-edge · breakthrough · transformational · game-changer · avant-garde · progressive · novel · ingenious · creative
trailblazer
First to forge ahead
- pioneerEarly explorer or settler
- maverickIndependent-minded rule-breaker
- iconoclastAttacker of cherished beliefs
rebel · nonconformist · eccentric · heretic · deviant · outlier · dissident · freethinker · contrarian · individualist
- changechange, flux, transformation, metamorphosis, alteration
- independencefreedom, liberty, Independence Day, autonomy, sovereignty
- making troublemake waves, stir the pot, raise Cain, kick up a fuss, upset the apple cart
- success idiomshit the jackpot, strike gold, make it, rags to riches, come out on top
break the moldconform
Behave as expected
toe the line · fall in line · go with the flow · follow the rules · follow the crowd
break the moldimitate
Reproduce another's behavior
replicate · rehash · copy · mimic · paint by numbers
break, mold, broken, breaking, unbroken, molding, breakable, breaks, unbreakable