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Synonyms

get the better of

Idioms  

  1. Also, get the best of;. Become superior to or master someone or something; win out. For example, John's common sense got the better of his pride, and he apologized, or Her older sister was always trying to get the best of her, or He was determined to have the better of his competitors. [c. 1600] Also see get the drop on.

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.

Swiss racer Tanguy Nef and Belgian Armand Marchant similarly failed to get the better of Strasser, leaving the top four to race.

From Barron's • Jan. 25, 2026

Because of that, and because of who Everton will be missing, I am backing Dyche to get the better of his old team this time.

From BBC • Dec. 29, 2025

Brighton have won at Old Trafford in each of the past three seasons but can Manchester United get the better of them on Saturday?

From BBC • Oct. 23, 2025

But as we all witnessed on that Academy Awards stage, a superstar’s bruised disposition can get the better of them in the most public of forums.

From Salon • Dec. 6, 2022

Now, as he felt weighed down by his failure to keep the Rad Lab above the turmoil of the Oppenheimer case, illness began to get the better of him.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

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.