get the better of
idiom
: to defeat or trick (someone) by being clever
It would be hard to get the better of someone as experienced as she is.
—often used figurativelyShe knew she shouldn't open the package, but her curiosity finally got the better of her and she opened it.
Examples of get the better of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Alcaraz was up 5-4, 40-love in the third set when the occasion got the better of him.
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TIME, 14 July 2024
West Germany won the World Cup in 1954, 1974 and 1990.
2015 — Novak Djokovic gets the better of Roger Federer at Wimbledon, beating him in four sets to win his third Wimbledon title and ninth Grand Slam championship.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2024
The Chiefs got the better of the Niners when these teams met in Super Bowl LIV four years ago, with San Francisco squandering a 10-point fourth-quarter lead in what remains one of several legacy-defining collapses for Shanahan.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2024
As Venus and Chiron clash, pessimism gets the better of you.
—USA TODAY, 6 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for get the better of 
TIME, 14 July 2024
West Germany won the World Cup in 1954, 1974 and 1990.
2015 — Novak Djokovic gets the better of Roger Federer at Wimbledon, beating him in four sets to win his third Wimbledon title and ninth Grand Slam championship.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2024
The Chiefs got the better of the Niners when these teams met in Super Bowl LIV four years ago, with San Francisco squandering a 10-point fourth-quarter lead in what remains one of several legacy-defining collapses for Shanahan.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2024
As Venus and Chiron clash, pessimism gets the better of you.
—USA TODAY, 6 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for get the better of
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'get the better of.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Get the better of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/get%20the%20better%20of. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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