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.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

come out ahead

But because they on average have lost less than the indexes during market downturns, they come out ahead over the longer term on a risk-adjusted basis.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 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

In the very, very long run, however, boring stocks might well come out ahead.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026

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

From "Small Steps" by Louis Sachar