best
adjective
of the highest quality, excellence, or standing.
had bested
-
past perfectof best.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
Stanley Zhong had a 4.42 grade point average, a nearly perfect SAT score, had bested adults in competitive coding competitions and started his own electronic signing service all while still in high school.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 4, 2025
Many expected that pick to be House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, whom Scalise had bested in a secret ballot on Wednesday.
From Reuters ● Oct. 13, 2023
Winning the WBA title from Xu Can, defending it against Michael Conlan with a 12th round knockout while trailing on all scorecards, his victory over Mauricio Lara after the Mexican had bested him months earlier.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2023
One day, Paul Stewart, the D.J., conceded that his roommate, the producer Doug Rasheed, had bested him when Rasheed put on a vinyl copy of Stevie Wonder’s 1976 album “Songs in the Key of Life.”
From New York Times ● Sep. 29, 2022
Tormund had once thought to make himself the King- Beyond-the-Wall, before Mance had bested him.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
