1
as in advantage
the more favorable condition or position in a competition
your fluency in French should put you in the catbird seat for getting the Paris posting
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in center stage
the center of public attention
in the wake of the natural disaster, this obscure bureaucrat was suddenly and unexpectedly thrust into the catbird seat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of catbird seat
With memory giants like Samsung and SK Hynix cranking up production to keep pace with Nvidia’s Blackwell ramp, Lam is sitting in the catbird seat.
—
John Buckingham, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
The catbird seats were occupied instead by the titans of attention.
—Ezra Klein, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2025
Seems to me that the Giants are in the catbird seat.
—Grant Brisbee, The Athletic, 24 July 2024
William Byron, on the other hand, is in the catbird seat among Hendrick Motorsports drivers and sits with a seven-point cushion above the cutoff line.
—Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for catbird seat
John Buckingham, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
The catbird seats were occupied instead by the titans of attention.
—Ezra Klein, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2025
Seems to me that the Giants are in the catbird seat.
—Grant Brisbee, The Athletic, 24 July 2024
William Byron, on the other hand, is in the catbird seat among Hendrick Motorsports drivers and sits with a seven-point cushion above the cutoff line.
—Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for catbird seat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catbird seat
Noun
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Butts said drones give U.S. troops a major advantage as infantry units can use them to look over obstacles.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2025
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Her early jump into campaigning beginning in November 2023, and prolific fundraising, may have given Spanberger the advantage needed to discourage any potential challengers from even trying, said Professor David Richards, chair of the political science department at the University of Lynchburg.—
Savannah Kuchar,
USA Today,
18 June 2025
Noun
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During a week of protest, Los Angeles is the center stage of the national immigration debate, with pundits on both sides characterizing the fight through the lens of their respective viewpoints.—
Los Angeles Times Staff,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2025
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That’s how one expert told CNN the auto industry is describing a possible shortage of rare-earth elements — minerals that are now center stage in the global trade war.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
10 June 2025
Noun
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Like Squid Game, The Prisoner beguiles the viewer by turning traditional symbols of familiar, homegrown calm (in this case, an idyllic seaside town) into disorientating weapons that keep the characters on a knife's edge.—
Rory Doherty,
Time,
27 June 2025
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Cook, undisturbed, until pancake edges are dry and bubbles begin to form on surface, about 3 minutes.—
Elizabeth Nelson,
Southern Living,
27 June 2025
Noun
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But their absence from the 2025 postseason spotlight made one thing clear: the league definitely is moving forward.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
23 June 2025
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The story garnered national attention and threw a spotlight on the fault lines of our criminal justice system.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2025
Noun
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Yesterday, Trump told reporters on Air Force One that China was holding up the sale, suggesting that China may have an upper hand in TikTok negotiations, and perhaps TikTok is losing its sheen as a US bargaining chip in Trump's bigger trade war.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
18 June 2025
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In a back and forth game, the Pioneers got an upper hand and secured an 52-44 victory.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Smith was ranked No. 1 in the U.S. at the time, two spots ahead of his pal, yet the wildly popular Ashe always got top billing.—
Sam Farmer,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2025
-
New England folk-pop singer-songwriter Noah Kahan gets top billing on Sunday, and the docket also includes sets from Goose, Carin Leon, Flo Rida, Khruangbin and — best of all — legendary rock guitarist Robby Krieger from The Doors, among many others.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
24 May 2025
Noun
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Microsoft’s whip hand, more than anything, else, comes down to cold hard cash.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
19 Nov. 2023
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The failure of the ‘red wave’ to materialize means that an old-fashioned socialist will have the whip hand over health care for the next two years.—
Joel Zinberg,
National Review,
30 Nov. 2022
Noun
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The people who went to Washington as a result of his decision live in the political limelight.—
James C. Clark,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 May 2025
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Protein may be hogging the nutrition limelight at the moment, but amid all the hubbub, don’t forget about one critical carb: fiber.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
18 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Catbird seat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catbird%20seat. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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