better than
Idioms-
Superior to, as in He's no better than Tom at writing a memo . [9th century]
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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.
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.
“You could take any person off of the street and they would be better than this total jerk. Thank goodness he’s finally gone!”
From Salon • May 27, 2026
“But come on, man, a Jack Russell terrier on a raft? Does it get better than that? I don’t know.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
Shares dipped 15% in late March after the company reported fourth-quarter numbers that were also better than expected.
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
It is certainly better than leaving the equipment idle.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
“I worked as a counter girl at Ville de Paris when I was twelve. I don’t know why a salesgirl would think they’re so much better than the customers.”
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
