Idiom
spoil the market
Meaning
To set higher standards by overachieving, so others look inferior or unmotivated in comparison.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“Don't work so hard or you will spoil the market for us.”
“By finishing the project in two days, he spoiled the market for the rest of the team who needed a week.”
“The new consultant's relentless efficiency spoiled the market, making the existing staff appear lazy and unproductive to the company directors.”
Examples
simple
“Don't work so hard or you will spoil the market for us.”
contextual
“By finishing the project in two days, he spoiled the market for the rest of the team who needed a week.”
complex
“The new consultant's relentless efficiency spoiled the market, making the existing staff appear lazy and unproductive to the company directors.”
Key words
Related idioms
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