lowers the bar
Makes things easier
To lower the bar is to reduce standards or expectations, making something easier to achieve or accept.
The metaphor comes from high jump or pole vault, where a lower bar requires less effort to clear.
Usually critical: Each revision lowers the bar for what counts as acceptable.
The opposite is raise the bar.
- minimumSmallest possible quantity
- lowNot elevated
- mediocrityQuality of being average
- complacencyUncritical satisfaction with oneself
- good enoughMeeting minimum standards
decline · race to the bottom · benchmark · underperformance · passing grade · permissiveness · shortcut · cutting corners · easy way out · erosion · inefficiency · tolerance · leniency · dumbing down · watered down · degradation · compromise · devaluation