# stand on someone's shoulders

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/stand-on-someones-shoulders
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To build on the previous discoveries or creativity of someone.

## Examples

- We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us.
- The young scientist acknowledged that her new discovery was only possible because she stood on the shoulders of her mentors.
- By synthesizing centuries of philosophical inquiry, the author demonstrated that every great thinker ultimately stands on the shoulders of their predecessors.

## Origin

A generalisation of the phrase stand on the shoulders of giants. The expression contains no recorded dates or named entities in the source.

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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.