a hard/tough act to follow

noun phrase

: someone or something that has been so successful that it is very difficult for the person or thing coming next to be as good

Yesterday's thrilling victory will be a tough act to follow.

Examples of a hard/tough act to follow in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The 2026 Western Conference Finals' series-opening instant classic is a hard act to follow. — Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 May 2026

That Trick Williams gingerbread segment was a tough act to follow, so there wasn’t much heat for this. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2026

This week’s guest subscriber — with a hard act to follow — is George, a 33-year-old Manchester United fan from London. — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026

But that didn’t stop him from making his own way to the fast track, taking the Country Thunder stage at 19 as direct support to Thursday’s headliner and giving Gavin Adcock a tough act to follow. — Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 9 Apr. 2026