# lift one's game

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/lift-ones-game
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To improve one's performance through practice or additional effort.

## Examples

- You need to lift your game if you want to win.
- The team performed poorly last week, so the coach told them they must lift their game to stay in the tournament.
- Realizing that his competitors were rapidly advancing, he understood that he had to lift his game significantly to maintain his position as an industry leader.

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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.