hold a candle to

phrase

: to qualify for comparison with

doesn't hold a candle to what she has suffered

Examples of hold a candle to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Under Shanken’sleadership, Wine Spectator spawned a handful of imitators, but not a single one could hold a candle to the magazine’s style, influence, or reach. — Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2026

The Ray-Ban Meta’s camera doesn’t hold a candle to a midrange or higher-end smartphone camera, though. — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 3 Nov. 2026

But Nussmeier’s success on the practice fields of Missouri Western State, the Chiefs’ training camp site, doesn’t hold a candle to the NFL stage. — Christian Marshall, Kansas City Star, 9 Aug. 2026

That being said, the healthy stuff doesn't hold a candle to the old school ingredients. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1641, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hold a candle to

• accrue
• ado
• ainu
• aircrew
• airscrew
• anew
• askew
• baboo
• babu
• bamboo
• beaucoup
• bijou