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gain ground on

idiom

Definition of gain ground on

: to move faster or work harder in order to come closer to
  • She was trailing in the race, but she was beginning to gain ground on the leaders.
  • The company has been gaining ground on its competitors.

Word by Word Definitions

gain play

  1. : resources or advantage acquired or increased : profit

  2. : the act or process of acquiring something

  3. : an increase in amount, magnitude, or degree

  1. : to acquire or get possession of usually by industry, merit, or craft

  2. : to win in competition or conflict

  3. : to arrive at : reach, attain

See the full definition of gain
ground play

  1. : the bottom of a body of water

  2. : sediment

  3. : ground coffee beans after brewing

  1. : to bring to or place on the ground

  2. : to cause to run aground

  3. : to provide a reason or justification for

  1. : past tense and past participle of grind

See the full definition of ground

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