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.
But we cannot cut healthcare costs without cutting healthcare — unless we get ahead of disease.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
Could they have some funds to get ahead of the trend?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
She wrestled with the struggles her daughter faced while trying to get ahead and deciding to test into one of New York’s ultra-selective specialized public high schools.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
Whether you're looking for your first job, trying to get ahead at work or hoping to change career, building a network can help you find opportunities and make connections.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
Mr. Powell was trying to get ahead on his cataloging so that Mrs. Merriam wouldn’t fuss at him, and Lil was speeding ahead on Jane Eyre.
From "Okay for Now" by Gary D. Schmidt
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
