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English idiom

gold rush

Register · Neutral CEFR B2
Post

Figurative meaning

a sudden mass rush to profit from a new opportunity

Why this phrase?

From the 1849 California Gold Rush: most miners went broke; the sellers of shovels got rich.

Example

“Every startup is in the AI gold rush; the picks-and-shovels players win.”

Dictionary details

Alternate forms

Component words

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

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