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
The upstart state assemblymember is at the forefront of a coalition of progressives seeking to block former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo from taking the proverbial catbird seat in Gracie Mansion.
—
James Powel, USA Today, 24 June 2025
Mom, who’d just flown from Washington state to the Big Apple, fist-pumped her way to a catbird seat on Cloud 9.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 3 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for catbird seat
James Powel, USA Today, 24 June 2025
Mom, who’d just flown from Washington state to the Big Apple, fist-pumped her way to a catbird seat on Cloud 9.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 3 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for catbird seat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catbird seat
Noun
-
The Cougars finished with four turnovers and held a 26-8 advantage in points in the paint.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Columbus blanked the Blackhawks on their two power-play chances, running their string of futility to 26 man-advantages and 10 games without a goal.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Not at a microphone or center stage, but listening closely and taking it all in.—
Andrea Navarro,
Vogue,
29 Jan. 2026
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And while her time at Baylor and in the WNBA will be featured, her seven years playing in Russia leading up to her arrest sits center stage.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Having explored the Mariana Trench, the summit of Everest, and the edge of space, Victor Vescovo knows what awe feels like in its most dramatic forms.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
-
In short, the frontlines of the Russia-Ukraine war are a weird laboratory for modern warfare, which, against all odds, has given Ukraine a considerable tactical edge over its much larger adversary.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Recent reporting has put a spotlight on Medicaid fraud and what can happen when large public programs operate without close oversight.—
Miki Kapoor,
New York Daily News,
3 Feb. 2026
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Lemon hitting the late-night circuit intensifies its spotlight as a free-speech battleground.—
Senior Television,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Regulation is another area where China is trying to get an upper hand.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
27 Jan. 2026
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These Democrats believe that the mayhem caused by ICE’s raids gives the party an uncharacteristic upper hand over Republicans on immigration—and that demands to eliminate the agency erase that leverage.—
Elaine Godfrey,
The Atlantic,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Buffalo takes over top billing in the AFC Over in the AFC, the Buffalo Bills (+550) and the New England Patriots (+600) both surpassed the Denver Broncos (+750) after the wild-card round.—
Scott Phillips,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
-
But the Outback gets top billing for its outdoorsy appeal and versatility.—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Brian King Joseph may be entering the legal limelight with his lawsuit against Will Smith, but the musician is no stranger to showbiz.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
2 Jan. 2026
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Automotive companies like Ford and GM usually get the most limelight, but there were many others, like Singer, a company that normally makes sewing machines, that started making firearm components.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
28 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Ebrahimi’s death has also renewed attention on the case of another Iranian boxer, Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani, who is on death row.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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The incident heightened national attention on aviation safety in 2025, with many people questioning whether flying was safe.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catbird seat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catbird%20seat. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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