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.
But Trump told Fox News that the trade talks had gone "better than last time".
From BBC • May 15, 2026
“It’s the reason why retail sales across so many categories have held up better than what many of us might have thought.”
From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026
She “understood themes much better than I thought she would,” said Khaikin, 43, who lives in Albany, N.Y., and works in tech support.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
"Now, the United States is the hottest Nation anywhere in the world, and hopefully our relationship with China will be stronger and better than ever before!"
From Barron's • May 14, 2026
From the shadows under his eyes, she guessed that he hadn’t slept any better than she had.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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.
