hard act to follow

Idioms

Also, tough act to follow. An outstanding performance or individual. For example, Lucy was a terrific group leader—hers is a hard act to follow, or Bob's record is excellent—it will be a tough act to follow. This expression, dating from about 1900, was originally used for a particularly good vaudeville act that made the next act look poor by comparison. It soon was extended to other enterprises.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Warren,” Abel wrote in the letter, “ is obviously a very hard act to follow.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The obvious fact that Gustavo Dudamel is a hard act to follow is something that has been concerning for the Los Angeles Philharmonic the last two and a half years.

From Los Angeles Times

Wang’s cancellation, however, meant another hard act to follow.

From Los Angeles Times

They had a very hard act to follow given Schmeichel's legendary status at a club where he played 398 times over eight seasons.

From BBC

In that respect, it was a hard act to follow.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023