Puzzle #481 · September 25, 2026
aim high
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Every day one two-word expression or compound word used in American English.
Aim high means to set ambitious goals—to reach for something beyond what seems immediately achievable. A coach telling a young athlete to aim high is encouraging them not to settle for mediocrity.
The phrase was literally adopted as the U.S. Air Force recruiting slogan: “Aim High... Fly-Fight-Win.” It works as advice because it reframes failure—if you aim high and fall short, you still end up further ahead than if you'd aimed low. The counterargument is that aiming too high without a plan leads to frustration. The sweet spot, as most coaches will tell you, is aiming high with realistic steps to get there.
The phrase was literally adopted as the U.S. Air Force recruiting slogan: “Aim High... Fly-Fight-Win.” It works as advice because it reframes failure—if you aim high and fall short, you still end up further ahead than if you'd aimed low. The counterargument is that aiming too high without a plan leads to frustration. The sweet spot, as most coaches will tell you, is aiming high with realistic steps to get there.
Puzzle Appearances
The expression aim high has appeared in 1 puzzle:
- Puzzle #481 on September 25, 2026
Rate of Appearance in English Language Print
Google's Ngram project shows how often a pair of words has appeared in print every year since the 1800's.
Data from Google Books Ngram Viewer. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.
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