improve on/upon

phrasal verb

improved on/upon; improving on/upon; improves on/upon
: to do better than (something previously done)
After months of study, I improved on my original score.
It'll be hard to improve upon the success they had last year.

Examples of improve on/upon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In Sunday’s race, Hamilton was unable to improve on his starting position, finishing in 12th and over a lap behind race-winner Lando Norris of McLaren. Ben Morse, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2025 Much of the Midwest will continue to see smoky conditions improve on Sunday as the smoke begins to disperse and push east across the Great Lakes and interior Northeast. Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2025 Schlittler needs to improve on his secondary offerings, but he’s shown potential in his first three starts. Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025 This team could still improve on its 68-win total from last season despite looking nearly the same. Nick Crain, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for improve on/upon

Cite this Entry

“Improve on/upon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/improve%20on%2Fupon. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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