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Synonyms

get the better of

Idioms  

  1. Also, get the best of;. Become superior to or master someone or something; win out. For example, John's common sense got the better of his pride, and he apologized, or Her older sister was always trying to get the best of her, or He was determined to have the better of his competitors. [c. 1600] Also see get the drop on.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Pearl, now a TV analyst, said the guard is “an incredibly talented kid with a real gift” but his “emotions at times have gotten the better of him.”

From Los Angeles Times

Something about this letter sent prickles up my arm and made me feel uneasy, but my curiosity got the better of me, and I unfolded it and read.

From Literature

He survived the threats, but speculation eventually got the better of him.

From Barron's

He survived the threats, but speculation eventually got the better of him.

From Barron's

"The situation, he could have handled it better or chosen his words better but emotions got the better of him," McCarthy told BBC World Service presenter Isaac Fanin.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.