in the same league

Idioms

On the same level of skill, in the same class, as in As a woodworker, Bill wishes he were in the same league as Carl, who is a master carpenter. This metaphoric expression alludes to the leagues of baseball clubs, categorized as major or minor. It is often put negatively as not in the same league, as in This restaurant is not in the same league as the French café across the street. [Early 1900s]

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.

That’s still painful, but it’s not in the same league.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 8, 2026

The two companies aren’t in the same league.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

And this raises the questions: how helpful is a label that puts chocolate bars in the same league as tofu?

From BBC • Jul. 27, 2024

He took a demotion in title to work at a lesser position for a school in the same league?

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2024

“Comets look flashy, but they’re not in the same league as the Nimbus.”

From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023