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

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

A British smartphone maker hopes to steal a march on Apple and Tesla boss Elon Musk with a new satellite-connected handset, the BBC has learned.

From BBC • Sep. 5, 2022

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

“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