get the better of

The idiom 'get the better of' is often used to describe situations where one entity gains an advantage or overcomes another, be it in a competition, argument, or internal struggle.

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Definition

B2General

(informal)To gain an advantage over someone or something.

Example

  • She managed to get the better of her opponent in the final round.

B2General

(informal)To defeat or outsmart someone or something.

Example

  • He got the better of the tricky puzzle after hours of trying.

B2Emotional

(informal)To be overpowered by an emotion or impulse.

Example

  • Her curiosity got the better of her, and she opened the mysterious box.

Similar

Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "get the better of":

get over onget the drop onget ahead ofget overgo one betterget a leg upbeat outedge output one overupper handget to grips withgo to someone's head