get ahead

British  

verb

1. to be successful; prosper

2. (foll by of) to surpass or excel

---

get ahead Idioms  

1. 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]

2. Save a little money, as in After we settle the hospital bill, we hope to get ahead enough to buy a new car .

3. get ahead of . Move in front of, as in I got ahead of her in line .

4. get ahead of . Outdo, surpass, as in We were determined to get ahead of the competition . Also see ahead of the game .

---

Example Sentences

To get ahead in the next cycle, they may need to bring back some of that wildcatter spirit.

From The Wall Street Journal

One man, noted for his prime ministerial ambitions, has decided to get ahead of that.

From BBC

Those rules are not in place at the Olympics but British skeleton have essentially tried to get ahead of the curve by designing and using their new helmet in Italy.

From BBC

To some, the selling seems like it is getting ahead of itself.

From MarketWatch

After the call with Mom, I try to get ahead on my homework.

From Literature