get the drop on
The phrase "get the drop on" originated in the United States, often associated with the Old West, where gaining a sudden advantage in a confrontation was crucial.
Definition
C1Confrontation
(informal, historical)To aim a weapon at someone before they can react.
Example
- In the standoff, he managed to get the drop on his opponent.
B2General
(informal)To gain an advantage over someone by acting before they do.
Example
- By releasing the product early, the company got the drop on its competitors.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "get the drop on":
get ahead ofget over onget a leg upsteal a marchget the better ofcatch outdrop behindcaught on the hopsneak updrop intolay a glove onrun up onjump the gundrop input one overhead off at the passdrop someone in itbring down onget on toget one's hands ondrop backget down oncome down onget ahead of oneselfedge outlay hands onget ondrop the bombdrop the ballput one's hands onlower the boom