How to Use have a leg up in a Sentence

have a leg up

phrase
  • Anybody who can get a win in any of those places is going to have a leg up.
    San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Feb. 2023
  • All else held equal, this variant will have a leg up on its kin, and may outcompete them.
    Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 28 June 2021
  • And members have a leg up on winning passage of their own spending bills.
    George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2022
  • That means men may well have a leg up in their careers if negative feedback tends to bounce right off of them.
    Sarah Todd, Quartz, 23 Nov. 2021
  • The winner, however, will have a leg up in a two-team race — and these teams meet again at the end of the month.
    Barry Wilner, Star Tribune, 11 Nov. 2020
  • Still, live game action provided clues as to which reserves have a leg up on roster spots.
    Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2024
  • So where do Oru’s origami ‘yaks have a leg up on inflatable options?
    Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 12 July 2023
  • Whatever team handles that odd pause the best will have a leg up on the second half of the season.
    Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 19 Feb. 2026
  • That’s where, to some degree, family businesses have a leg up.
    Ethan Karp, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Lefty Kody Funderburk could have a leg up for spot after a strong finish to last year.
    Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 22 Dec. 2025
  • Kids who perform well on a test on the first go, or who routinely turn in assignments on time, often have a leg up.
    Laura Newberry, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2021
  • Businesses that are proactive in creating and growing their brand have a leg up on the road to success.
    Kristi Piehl, Forbes.com, 23 Feb. 2026
  • But for the time being, humans have a leg up in some areas, such as handling delicate objects.
    Washington Post, 22 Apr. 2021
  • The current generation of young investors may have a leg up on their older peers, data shows.
    Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2026
  • Rea has pitched only 4 2/3 innings in two starts this spring, so Brown appears to have a leg up.
    Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Nuclear propulsion could have a leg up on chemical propulsion for a few reasons.
    Dan Kotlyar, Discover Magazine, 5 Oct. 2024
  • The winner of this series will have a leg up in the American League West.
    Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Those who can afford to pay for AGI usage will have a leg up on everyone else.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Hopkins thinks one way real bartenders have a leg up is through human interaction.
    Emma Balter, Chron, 2 Mar. 2023
  • Readers of Homer’s Odyssey may have a leg up in their familiarity with him.
    Daniel Seifert, JSTOR Daily, 5 Feb. 2025
  • Emmet feels musicians and singers have a leg up in understanding the nuances of a language.
    Amanda Florian, Discover Magazine, 4 Dec. 2021
  • Computer science is a viable career path and Black children will have a leg up in it thanks to a new program.
    Jasmine Browley, Essence, 29 Sep. 2023
  • Futu may have a leg up in the city-state given Singapore’s lag in digital trading.
    Yvonne Lau, Fortune, 20 May 2021
  • And then there’s Baker, who may have a leg up on Cojoe based on his run with the first team during the first week of practice.
    Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 2 Aug. 2025
  • So the Bears might have a leg up in terms of experience over the relatively green Huskies.
    Lori Riley, courant.com, 25 Mar. 2021
  • The twins took an official visit to the school this weekend and the Panthers look to have a leg up on the other two offers.
    Chris Hays, Orlando Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2023
  • The bears in southeast Greenland do have a leg up in their difficult habitat, however.
    Doug Johnson, Ars Technica, 21 June 2022
  • For Republicans, the second-place finisher in the primaries could have a leg up.
    Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 8 Jan. 2024
  • The Lakers have a leg up on their longtime rivals with one of the richest local TV deals in the sport.
    Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 18 June 2025
  • Teams that are versatile and can deploy multiple looks tend to have a leg up over those who stick with one style regardless of opponent.
    Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'have a leg up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: