better than

Idioms  

1. Superior to, as in He's no better than Tom at writing a memo . [9th century]

2. More than, larger in amount or greater in rate, as in My new car can do better than 100 miles an hour , or The new plan will cut better than 15 percent of costs . Some authorities consider this usage colloquial and advise that it be avoided in formal writing. [Late 1500s] Also see better half , def. 1.

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Example Sentences

He won at Torrey Pines in February and prepared assiduously for the Masters in an attempt to go one better than his 2025 play-off defeat by Rory McIlroy.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

Becerra, who served as California attorney general before joining the Biden administration, quickly defended himself, saying he knows the law better than Hilton does.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

"As a solution to cancer, cancer prevention is clearly much better than cancer treatment, so we hope we can spot dangerous chemicals before people are exposed, and therefore prevent extensive cancer risk."

From Science Daily • Apr. 29, 2026

Beating inflation is better than losing purchasing power.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026

But it had been a red-letter day anyhow, the main day of the year for me, better than the 4th of July.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck