lower the bar

lower the bar (third-person singular simple present lowers the bar, present participle lowering the bar, simple past and past participle lowered the bar)

1. (idiomatic) to lower the standards of quality that are expected of or required for something.

   Antonyms: raise the bar, lift the bar

• set the bar

• “raise lower the bar” (US) / “raise lower the bar” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary.
• “raise or lower the bar”, in Collins English Dictionary.