steal a march on

Idioms  

1. Gain an advantage over unexpectedly or secretly, as in Macy's stole a march on their rival department store with their Thanksgiving Day parade. This metaphoric expression comes from medieval warfare, where a march was the distance an army could travel in a day. By quietly marching at night, a force could surprise and overtake the enemy at daybreak. Its figurative use dates from the second half of the 1700s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

steal a march on

Apple’s foray into services, its constant striving to anticipate any features and peripherals that might let another rectangle maker steal a march on the iPhone, are all about defending the gold mine.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026

With so much empty space concentrated in the center of Nottingham, he sees an unrivaled opportunity for the city to steal a march on rivals coping with the decline of central malls and main streets.

From New York Times ● May 18, 2021

Industry experts say the pandemic has focused bank executives’ minds when it comes to IT spend and more digitally savvy lenders will steal a march on competitors.

From Reuters ● Oct. 29, 2020

“Perhaps Airbus can steal a march on Boeing while Boeing is preoccupied,” said Sandy Morris, a research analyst at Jefferies International.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 28, 2020

My lighter, more superficial side will always steal a march on the deeper side and therefore always win.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank