come out ahead

Idioms  

1. Succeed, make a profit. For example, By the end of the year we expect to come out ahead. Also see ahead of the game.

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Example Sentences

A way to play both sides of any trade, and, if the complex maths had been done correctly, come out ahead almost no matter what.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

“You can get a week’s vacation and dental work and still come out ahead of what you’d be paying in the U.S.,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2026

Lowe’s has come out ahead in most of the above comparisons; it has been the better long-term performer in the stock market and has beaten the S&P 500’s 10-year return by a wide margin.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 23, 2026

The governing body's president Aleksander Ceferin said Germany's bid had come out ahead of Poland and a joint bid from Denmark and Sweden.

From BBC • Dec. 3, 2025

“We’ll still come out ahead, even after the cost of the ad.”

From "Small Steps" by Louis Sachar