better than

Idioms  

1. Superior to, as in He's no better than Tom at writing a memo . [9th century]

2. More than, larger in amount or greater in rate, as in My new car can do better than 100 miles an hour , or The new plan will cut better than 15 percent of costs . Some authorities consider this usage colloquial and advise that it be avoided in formal writing. [Late 1500s] Also see better half , def. 1.

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Example Sentences

But it’s better than fine — it’s a work of honest-to-goodness art.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026

Same-store sales fell 1.1%, but that was better than expectations for a decline of 1.7%.

From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026

Former Newcastle team-mate Matt Ritchie knows that better than most.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

The jobs were often easy to get, required little training and generally paid better than retail and fast-food jobs.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

I knew it would be, hands down, better than anything Jonah would give him.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam