# break the mold

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/break-the-mold
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To depart from a traditional pattern; to defy convention.

## Examples

- She really broke the mold with her unique painting style.
- He breaks the mold by wearing a bright suit to every serious business meeting.
- You break the mold when you choose a career that your family does not expect.
- The new manager decided to break the mold by letting employees choose their own working hours.
- The tech company hopes to break the mold by designing a smartphone that users can easily repair themselves at home.
- Instead of following the usual plot, the director breaks the mold by letting the audience choose the ending of the movie.
- By rejecting the rigid traditions of his predecessors, the young architect managed to break the mold and create a truly revolutionary design.

## Origin

From the practice of casting multiple identical replicas from a single hollow form. The image is of a physical cast used to shape fluid materials into solid objects; by destroying the vessel after the initial casting, one ensures that no further copies can be produced. The phrase describes the deliberate prevention of repetition.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.