Victory: English Vocabulary List

to be the first person or team that obtains an advantage over a competitor in any contest

"Our team drew first blood today."

"The home team drew first blood in the match by scoring a goal within the first five minutes."

to excel in doing something compared to anyone else who has ever tried it

"He went one better than his previous record."

"Our competitor offered free delivery so we went one better by offering free delivery and a discount."

to defeat someone soundly or thoroughly in a competition or argument, often with the implication that the opponent had no chance of winning

"The older boy threatened to clean my clock."

"The experienced boxer cleaned the young challenger's clock by knocking him out in the very first round."

superior to others in terms of advancement, achieving success, or modernity

"That tech company is always ahead of the curve."

"The company stays ahead of the curve by investing heavily in research and development of new technologies."

to achieve a significantly higher level of success compared to someone or something else

"The new smartphone blows its rivals' doors off."

"The new smartphone blows its competitors doors off with a battery that lasts twice as long as theirs."

to be able to beat someone or something due to being superior in terms of skill or strength

"His anger got the better of him."

"The difficult conditions finally got the better of the hiker and he had to turn back down the mountain."

to manage to invent something that improves upon an existing concept or object

"If you build a better mousetrap, people will buy it."

"If you can build a better mousetrap customers will come to you without any expensive advertising campaigns."

to be in a slightly better position when competing against someone else

"She has an edge over him."

"Having years of experience gives her a significant edge over the other candidates applying for the position."

to achieve significantly better results compared to other people or things

"He really knocked it out of the park."

"The marketing team knocked their latest campaign out of the park, exceeding all their quarterly targets."

to defeat or outperform someone or something with ease

"The new phone left the old model in the dust."

"The new software update will leave all previous versions in the dust with its advanced features."

to be much better, quicker, more successful etc. than someone or something else

"His performance left the others standing."

"The new electric car leaves its petrol powered competitors standing with its incredible acceleration and speed."

used to refer to someone who is slightly better in terms of being prepared, skilled, etc. when compared to someone or something else

"The detective was always one jump ahead."

"The clever detective always stayed one jump ahead of the criminals by anticipating their next move perfectly."

to increase one's level of effort, skill, or performance in a particular activity or area to achieve better results or compete more effectively

"If you want to win, you must step up your game."

"If you want to win the competition you need to step up your game and practice much harder than before."

to deliver a much better performance compared to that of others'

"This product is streets ahead."

"In terms of customer service, this company is streets ahead of all its competitors in the industry."

to do something before someone else does it

"I wanted to answer first, but John beat me to the punch."

"She wanted to apologize but her friend beat her to the punch and said sorry first."

a decisive victory in which a team or player achieves consecutive wins in any game, contest, or other similar events

"The team achieves a clean sweep by winning every match."

"The team achieved a clean sweep by winning every match of the tournament without losing once."

to win an argument or other competitive situation

"In the end, honesty comes out on top."

"Despite all the difficulties our team came out on top and won the championship at the end."

to succeed after a struggle, debate, or competition

"Our team won the day!"

"Despite facing strong opposition in the debate, her well-researched arguments and confident delivery helped her win the day and impress the entire audience."

to achieve a victory or success despite initially seeming unlikely or impossible, particularly after experiencing a setback or failure

"Our team snatched victory from the jaws of defeat."

"The team snatched victory from the jaws of defeat by scoring two goals in the final three minutes of the game."

used to refer to a victory that is achieved only by a small margin

"The horse won the race by a nose."

"The horse won the race by a nose in the closest finish that the track had ever seen."

to be in an advantageous position when competing against someone else

"They hold all the aces now."

"With the best players and unlimited funding, the club holds all the aces in the upcoming championship."

to defeat someone soundly or thoroughly in a competition or argument, often with the implication that the opponent had no chance of winning

"He cleaned my clock."

"In the debate, his opponent's logical arguments completely cleaned his clock, leaving him with no valid responses."

to be able to beat someone or something due to being superior in terms of skill or strength

"I will get the best of you."

"Despite his opponent's initial aggression, the seasoned boxer knew he could get the best of him through superior technique."

a person or thing that is ahead of others in a race or other competitive situation

"She is the front runner."

"With her consistent performance and strong public support, she has emerged as the clear front runner for the award."