cut a swath
Carve impressive path
To cut a swath is to make a conspicuous impact or path through something.
The phrase comes from mowing—a swath is the strip of grass or grain left by a single pass of a scythe or mower.
Figuratively, someone who cuts a swath through a crowd, industry, or social scene moves through it boldly and noticeably: She cut a swath through Hollywood in the 1990s.
To cut a wide swath emphasizes the breadth of influence or destruction: The tornado cut a wide swath through the county.
- impressAffect with admiration
- make an impressionCreate lasting mental impact
- stand outBe noticeably different
- turn headsAttract sudden attention
- excelSurpass all others
take by storm · impact · dominate · succeed · shine · mow · mow down · carve · flamboyance · triumph · slash · clear · prevail · panache · clear a path · magnetism · harvest · lead