blaze a trail

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

to pioneer a new route, approach, or field of endeavour, making the way easier for those who follow; the metaphor derives from the forestry practice of marking trees with blazes — cuts or paint marks — to indicate a path through the wilderness, and from the broader image of opening a passage through uncharted territory; those who blaze a trail are the first to take a new direction, to challenge conventions that have not previously been questioned, or to succeed in contexts that have not previously included them; first-generation migrants who establish pathways for those who come after them, or diaspora members who break through barriers in host-country institutions, are described as trail blazers whose individual achievements open collective opportunities