get ahead
Britishverb
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to be successful; prosper
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(foll by of) to surpass or excel
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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]
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Save a little money, as in After we settle the hospital bill, we hope to get ahead enough to buy a new car .
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get ahead of . Move in front of, as in I got ahead of her in line .
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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.
Many people were aiming to get ahead of new rules in last summer’s tax law that limit tax breaks on charitable giving for high earners and those who itemize deductions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
Businesses in Japan, the world's fourth-largest economy, are keen to get ahead in the fast-moving AI field.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
Saving for a four-year degree once felt like the obvious way to help a child get ahead.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
She doubts US strikes will stop people from tying to "get ahead, to survive" where there are no job opportunities.
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
The whole thing really made me feel pretty sick, working that hard from sunrise to sunset and never being able to get ahead.
From "My Brother Sam is Dead" by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
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.
