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.
That’s better than saying things like “I feel I’m worth more” or the “cost of living is high,” von Ahlen said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
The team's results suggest that switching treatments before the tumor begins growing again could generally perform better than the current standard of care.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
And on paper, they’re both better than the Warriors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Gold’s 12-month price increase, at 21%, is still slightly better than the S&P 500.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
I personally thought things were going better than expected.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
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.
