# yellow brick road

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/yellow-brick-road
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A proverbial path to a Promised Land of one's hopes and dreams.

## Examples

- She believes this new job is her yellow brick road to success.
- You think this training program is your yellow brick road to a promotion.
- Many young artists move to the city, hoping it will be their yellow brick road to fame and fortune.
- The startup founder realized that winning the national competition was not a yellow brick road to instant wealth, as the real work was just beginning.
- After years of struggle, the writer finally saw the publishing contract as the yellow brick road that would lead to a stable life.
- He viewed the prestigious scholarship as his yellow brick road, a clear path toward the academic career he had envisioned since childhood.

## Origin

Attributed to the literal path leading to the Emerald City in the Wizard of Oz book series and its subsequent film adaptations, the phrase describes a route paved with yellow bricks, possibly intended to invoke the image of gold. The road serves as the primary artery through the land of Oz, though the specific symbolism of its construction remains a matter of conjecture rather than established fact. (disputed)

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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.