50 Idioms for Advantage with Meanings & Sentences
Idioms for Advantage
1. Get a head start
Meaning: To begin earlier than others so you have an advantage.
In a Sentence: Jake got a head start on his homework and finished before dinner. / Our team got a head start in the race, so we were ahead from the beginning.
Other Ways to Say: Begin early / Start ahead of time
2. Have the upper hand
Meaning: To be in control or have the better position.
In a Sentence: Emily had the upper hand in the game because she practiced more. / During the spelling bee, Sam had the upper hand with his strong vocabulary.
Other Ways to Say: Be in charge / Be in control
3. Be one step ahead
Meaning: To be more prepared or advanced than others.
In a Sentence: Sarah was always one step ahead in class discussions.
Other Ways to Say: Be proactive / Stay ahead
4. Tip the scales
Meaning: To give someone an advantage in a situation.
In a Sentence: His experience tipped the scales in his favor during the interview.
Other Ways to Say: Shift the advantage / Influence the outcome
5. Have an edge
Meaning: To have a slight advantage over others.
In a Sentence: With her language skills, she had an edge in the competition.
Other Ways to Say: Be slightly better / Gain leverage
6. Play your cards right
Meaning: To act wisely to gain advantage.
In a Sentence: If you play your cards right, you might get that promotion.
Other Ways to Say: Act smart / Be strategic
7. Be ahead of the game
Meaning: To be more advanced or prepared than others.
In a Sentence: Investing early put him ahead of the game financially.
Other Ways to Say: Be prepared / Stay on top
8. Gain the upper hand
Meaning: To gain control or advantage over someone.
In a Sentence: After a tough debate, she finally gained the upper hand.
Other Ways to Say: Take control / Win the edge
9. Beat someone to the punch
Meaning: To act before someone else does.
In a Sentence: He beat me to the punch by applying for the scholarship first.
Other Ways to Say: Get there first / Act quickly
10. In the driver’s seat
Meaning: To be in control of a situation.
In a Sentence: After the merger, she was in the driver’s seat of the company.
Other Ways to Say: Be in charge / Lead the way
11. Get the jump on
Meaning: To start before others and gain advantage.
In a Sentence: We got the jump on the sale by arriving early.
Other Ways to Say: Act first / Take the lead
12. Hold all the cards
Meaning: To have all the power or advantage in a situation.
In a Sentence: During negotiations, the company held all the cards.
Other Ways to Say: Be in control / Have the power
13. Turn the tables
Meaning: To change a situation so that you have the advantage.
In a Sentence: She turned the tables on her opponent with a smart move.
Other Ways to Say: Reverse the situation / Gain control
14. Be in pole position
Meaning: To be in the best position to win.
In a Sentence: With his resume, he’s in pole position for the job.
Other Ways to Say: Lead / Be favored
15. Get the inside track
Meaning: To have special access or knowledge that gives an advantage.
In a Sentence: Her uncle’s advice gave her the inside track on the exam.
Other Ways to Say: Have an insider advantage / Be informed
16. Pull ahead
Meaning: To move into a leading or better position.
In a Sentence: Our team pulled ahead after halftime.
Other Ways to Say: Move forward / Take the lead
17. Be in the catbird seat
Meaning: To be in a position of advantage or control.
In a Sentence: After winning the lottery, he was in the catbird seat.
Other Ways to Say: Be privileged / Have power
18. Get the better of
Meaning: To defeat or overcome someone.
In a Sentence: His confidence got the better of his fear.
Other Ways to Say: Win over / Beat
19. Have something up your sleeve
Meaning: To have a hidden advantage or plan.
In a Sentence: She always has a trick up her sleeve during negotiations.
Other Ways to Say: Secret advantage / Hidden strategy
20. Call the shots
Meaning: To be the one who controls decisions.
In a Sentence: In this project, she’s the one calling the shots.
Other Ways to Say: Make the decisions / Take command
21. Win by a nose
Meaning: To win by a very small margin.
In a Sentence: He won the election by a nose.
Other Ways to Say: Barely win / Narrow victory
22. Stack the deck
Meaning: To arrange things unfairly to gain advantage.
In a Sentence: The rules were stacked in his favor from the start.
Other Ways to Say: Tilt the odds / Rig the system
23. Be on the front foot
Meaning: To be in an aggressive or advantageous position.
In a Sentence: They started the project on the front foot.
Other Ways to Say: Be proactive / Lead early
24. Tip the balance
Meaning: To influence the result in your favor.
In a Sentence: Her vote tipped the balance in favor of the new policy.
Other Ways to Say: Shift the outcome / Decide the result
25. Ride the wave
Meaning: To take advantage of a positive trend or moment.
In a Sentence: He rode the wave of popularity after his first hit song.
Other Ways to Say: Capitalize / Go with success
26. Come out on top
Meaning: To emerge as the winner or most successful
In a Sentence: After all the challenges, she came out on top.
Other Ways to Say: Win / Succeed
27. Be streets ahead
Meaning: To be far better than others
In a Sentence: His innovation puts him streets ahead of the competition.
Other Ways to Say: Lead by far / Be superior
28. Have leverage
Meaning: To have an advantage to influence something
In a Sentence: With that data, the team had leverage in the negotiation.
Other Ways to Say: Influence / Power
29. Get the lion’s share
Meaning: To get the largest or best portion
In a Sentence: He got the lion’s share of the inheritance.
Other Ways to Say: Get most / Receive the best
30. Knock it out of the park
Meaning: To do something very successfully
In a Sentence: Her presentation knocked it out of the park.
Other Ways to Say: Nail it / Excel
31. Ahead of the pack
Meaning: To be better or faster than competitors
In a Sentence: That brand is ahead of the pack in innovation.
Other Ways to Say: Leading / Winning
32. Take the lead
Meaning: To be in front or in control
In a Sentence: She took the lead in the race and never looked back.
Other Ways to Say: Move ahead / Be in charge
33. Score points
Meaning: To gain advantage or approval
In a Sentence: He scored points with the manager by volunteering.
Other Ways to Say: Gain favor / Win approval
34. Be on top of things
Meaning: To have control over what’s happening
In a Sentence: She’s really on top of things at work.
Other Ways to Say: Be organized / Be in control
35. Use to your advantage
Meaning: To make something work in your favor
In a Sentence: He used his networking skills to his advantage.
Other Ways to Say: Take benefit / Make use of
36. Gain ground
Meaning: To become more successful or win
In a Sentence: The new product is gaining ground in the market.
Other Ways to Say: Progress / Advance
37. Jump the queue
Meaning: To go ahead of others unfairly
In a Sentence: He jumped the queue and reached the counter first.
Other Ways to Say: Cut in line / Take unfair advantage
38. Have a leg up
Meaning: To have an initial advantage
In a Sentence: His connections gave him a leg up in the industry.
Other Ways to Say: Get a boost / Head start
39. Be in the lead
Meaning: To be ahead of everyone else
In a Sentence: She was in the lead halfway through the race.
Other Ways to Say: Be first / Be ahead
40. Get the edge
Meaning: To have a small advantage over others
In a Sentence: His creativity gave him the edge in the contest.
Other Ways to Say: Slight advantage / Small lead
41. Stay ahead
Meaning: To maintain an advantage
In a Sentence: We need to innovate to stay ahead of competitors.
Other Ways to Say: Maintain lead / Keep advantage
42. Play to your strengths
Meaning: To use your best abilities to succeed
In a Sentence: She played to her strengths and aced the interview.
Other Ways to Say: Maximize skills / Focus on strengths
43. Keep your nose in front
Meaning: To stay slightly ahead
In a Sentence: The team kept their nose in front until the final whistle.
Other Ways to Say: Lead closely / Slight advantage
44. Get a leg up
Meaning: To receive help that gives an advantage
In a Sentence: The internship gave her a leg up in her career.
Other Ways to Say: Head start / Step forward
45. Stay in control
Meaning: To keep the advantage or leadership
In a Sentence: The captain stayed in control throughout the match.
Other Ways to Say: Lead / Be steady
46. Make headway
Meaning: To move forward or make progress
In a Sentence: We’re making headway on the new app.
Other Ways to Say: Advance / Move ahead
47. Get the upper edge
Meaning: To have a small advantage
In a Sentence: Practice gave him the upper edge in the match.
Other Ways to Say: Small lead / Advantage
48. Take control
Meaning: To assume a leading or commanding position
In a Sentence: She took control of the situation with ease.
Other Ways to Say: Lead / Take charge
49. Be the front-runner
Meaning: To be the most likely to win or succeed
In a Sentence: He’s the front-runner for class president.
Other Ways to Say: Lead candidate / Top choice
50. Use every trick in the book
Meaning: To use all possible methods to gain an advantage
In a Sentence: He used every trick in the book to win the deal.
Other Ways to Say: Use all strategies / Try everything
