get ahead
Britishverb
-
to be successful; prosper
-
(foll by of) to surpass or excel
-
Succeed or make progress, especially in one's career or in society. For example, She put in many hours of overtime in order to get ahead . [c. 1800]
-
Save a little money, as in After we settle the hospital bill, we hope to get ahead enough to buy a new car .
-
get ahead of . Move in front of, as in I got ahead of her in line .
-
get ahead of . Outdo, surpass, as in We were determined to get ahead of the competition . Also see ahead of the game .
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 we cannot cut healthcare costs without cutting healthcare — unless we get ahead of disease.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
So, can women express anger at work and still get ahead?
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
“I had read that symptoms start happening anywhere from 20 to 30 years before you get your diagnosis,” said Lamar, who thought, “Yeah, let me jump in and get ahead of it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
She wrestled with the struggles her daughter faced while trying to get ahead and deciding to test into one of New York’s ultra-selective specialized public high schools.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
“A girl’s got to look after her interests if she’s going to get ahead in this country,” she explained.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
