improve on

Idioms  

1. Make beneficial additions or changes to, as in The company is trying to improve on the previous model. [Late 1600s]

---

Example Sentences

It is time to face the fact that Gregg failed to put the death penalty on a sound footing and that nothing can improve on Gregg’s frailties.

From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026

All the candidates want to improve on California’s Safer from Wildfires program that offers modest discounts for homeowners who install closed eaves and take other measures to make their homes wildfire resistant.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

The agency’s main criticism was that its trial lacked a control arm, though this would be unethical in late-stage patients who failed to improve on other therapies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

"But they offer a trajectory for improvement. We need to continue to improve on multiple areas -- materials, circuits and packaging -- to make this technology ready for data center applications."

From Science Daily • Apr. 10, 2026

If you needed to illustrate the idea of nineteenth-century America as a land of opportunity, you could hardly improve on the life of Albert Michelson.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson