break the mold
idiom
1
: to do something in a completely new way
Voters are looking for a candidate who will break the mold and give them honest answers.
2
informal
—used to describe a very unusual or admired person
He was the greatest man I ever knew. They broke the mold when they made that guy.
Examples of break the mold in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
By refusing to let conventional restrictions box him in, Wilson has helped to break the mold of what the modern sports star can be.
—
Okla Jones, Essence, 10 Apr. 2024
But for Perkins, Black Barbie was the mold to break the mold.
—Elise Preston, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2024
Amidst an oversaturated market of celebrity endorsements and collaborations, Minaj’s ventures continue to break the mold, proving that her Midas touch remains unmatched and irresistibly exciting to consumers.
—Kate Hardcastle, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The idea, Cui said, is to break the mold of drug design, building new molecules from scratch that could be less susceptible to cancer cells developing resistance.
—Damian Garde Reprints, STAT, 29 Feb. 2024
Epic’s ultimate success in this metaverse arms race with other platforms such as Roblox and Minecraft may well depend on whether Disney’s lineup of beloved characters and millions of fans across the world can break the mold.
—Matt Craig, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024
Hey, break the mold, if not the rules, and go for the eye-poppers, which are also easier to spot in a crowd.
—Judi Dash, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
Brown was drawn to the role by writer-director Cord Jefferson’s script and burgeoning reputation, and by the chance to act with Wright — but mostly by the chance to break the mold yet again.
—Stuart Miller, Variety, 4 Jan. 2024
Its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, didn’t break the mold.
—Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 21 Dec. 2023
Okla Jones, Essence, 10 Apr. 2024
But for Perkins, Black Barbie was the mold to break the mold.
—Elise Preston, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2024
Amidst an oversaturated market of celebrity endorsements and collaborations, Minaj’s ventures continue to break the mold, proving that her Midas touch remains unmatched and irresistibly exciting to consumers.
—Kate Hardcastle, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The idea, Cui said, is to break the mold of drug design, building new molecules from scratch that could be less susceptible to cancer cells developing resistance.
—Damian Garde Reprints, STAT, 29 Feb. 2024
Epic’s ultimate success in this metaverse arms race with other platforms such as Roblox and Minecraft may well depend on whether Disney’s lineup of beloved characters and millions of fans across the world can break the mold.
—Matt Craig, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024
Hey, break the mold, if not the rules, and go for the eye-poppers, which are also easier to spot in a crowd.
—Judi Dash, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
Brown was drawn to the role by writer-director Cord Jefferson’s script and burgeoning reputation, and by the chance to act with Wright — but mostly by the chance to break the mold yet again.
—Stuart Miller, Variety, 4 Jan. 2024
Its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, didn’t break the mold.
—Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 21 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'break the mold.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near break the mold
Cite this Entry
“Break the mold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/break%20the%20mold. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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