as in masters
to achieve a victory over
at last she's bested her card-playing mother at the game of hearts
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Recent Examples of bests
The towers are also able to reach a capacity factor of about 32%, which bests that of flat panels, which come in around 22%.
—
New Atlas, 29 Oct. 2025
And China now bests the United States in 57 out of 64 critical and emerging technologies, per a 2024 study.
—Mircea Geoană, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
The new figure, which bests Monday’s $605 million jackpot, is already the 13th largest prize in the history of Powerball.
—Gordon Ebanks, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2025
New Atlas, 29 Oct. 2025
And China now bests the United States in 57 out of 64 critical and emerging technologies, per a 2024 study.
—Mircea Geoană, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
The new figure, which bests Monday’s $605 million jackpot, is already the 13th largest prize in the history of Powerball.
—Gordon Ebanks, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bests
Verb
-
Stylist Chrissy Rasmussen masters the layered medium-length look on clients.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
20 Dec. 2025
-
Bette Davis masters a rare light comedy turn as Sherry's long-suffering secretary, with Jimmy Durante as a visitor from Broadway and Wizard of Oz (1939) good witch Billie Burke as the overwhelmed matriarch of the Stanley clan.—
Gwen Ihnat,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Richard Raffalow Valley Glen Navy defeats Cincinnati 35-13 in the Liberty Bowl and is ranked 22 in the latest AP poll.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Narrow defeats to a rejuvenated Milan and reigning champions Napoli were far easier to swallow, and a victory in Sardinia would have seen Roma stay within a point of the leading duo.—
Jack Bantock,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Auburn overcomes a 14-point deficit in the first half and race past the Longhorns behind 31 points from Keyshawn Hall.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
28 Jan. 2026
-
By placing wind turbines in the air, this overcomes land use pressures and also makes the technology more flexible for places like cities.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After a long day, nothing beats sipping it neat, appreciating the craftsmanship and the layers of flavor.—
Noel Burgess,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
This helps regulate how the heart beats.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Table of Contents takes the form of song titles to pair the music, if desired, and (unofficial) Spotify playlists have sprung up to assist.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
25 Jan. 2026
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Even companies with strong brands are finding that adding the next million subscribers takes more time, more money and more effort than the last.—
Kolawole Samuel Adebayo,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The winner of a duel conquers his opponent’s square, gaining more ground – the loser leaves the game.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
13 Oct. 2025
-
For Nawaf Abdulhadi, joy comes when the choir conquers a difficult phrase in perfect unison.—
Billboard Arabia,
Billboard,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Indiana Pacers Another surprisingly expensive team, the reigning Eastern Conference champions would likely go into the tax if restricted free agent Bennedict Mathurin gets an appropriate salary over the summer.—
Danny Leroux,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Here's where this case gets even messier.—
Megan De Mar,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The new film puts empty characters (their tattoos are more expressive than the dialogue they’re given) into dangerous situations and dispatches them with all the empty pleasure of video-game kills.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
22 Jan. 2026
-
The base is the largest Navy installation in the Pacific and routinely dispatches surface ships and submarines to the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bests.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bests. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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