catbird seat

noun

Definition of catbird seatnext
1
as in advantage
the more favorable condition or position in a competition your fluency in French should put you in the catbird seat for getting the Paris posting

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in center stage
the center of public attention in the wake of the natural disaster, this obscure bureaucrat was suddenly and unexpectedly thrust into the catbird seat

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of catbird seat Carter Jensen always dreamed of sitting in the catbird seat at Kauffman Stadium. — Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2025 Mom, who’d just flown from Washington state to the Big Apple, fist-pumped her way to a catbird seat on Cloud 9. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 3 Apr. 2025 With memory giants like Samsung and SK Hynix cranking up production to keep pace with Nvidia’s Blackwell ramp, Lam is sitting in the catbird seat. — John Buckingham, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025 The catbird seats were occupied instead by the titans of attention. — Ezra Klein, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for catbird seat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catbird seat
  1. advantage
  2. center stage
  3. edge
  4. spotlight
  5. upper hand
  6. top billing
  7. limelight
  8. attention
Noun
  • Though 57% of voters say the Democratic Party does not have a clear vision for the future, Republicans hold no advantage in this category either, according to a CBS News poll released on Sunday.
    — Carter Schroppe, The Washington Examiner, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Joe Burrow gives the Bengals the quarterback advantage, and the extra preparation strengthens their case.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of advantage
Noun
  • The 31st edition drew its biggest audiences since 2015 while the row over ‘The Assassin(s)’ and Majid Majidi’s war speech put politics center stage.
    — Ophélie Surcouf, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • But Clayface, a Batman villain created in 1940 by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, is still an unlikely character to put center stage.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of center stage
Noun
  • Sequenced at the center of a three-track medley, its death-dream logic deliberately evokes the SMiLE era’s dark, confusing edge.
    — Ryan Meehan, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Wear one in beige or white to add a bit of brightness to your look, or black for some edge.
    — Michel Mejía, Glamour, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of edge
Noun
  • And spare furnishings spotlight craft—from the dining area’s custom walnut table to the stairwell’s Isamu Noguchi pendant.
    — Elizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Nobody Wants This season three tones down its exploration of Judaism and Jewish culture significantly — like, to the extent that Christmas traditions get a more elaborate episode spotlight than any Jewish holiday does.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of spotlight
Noun
  • With the Broncos holding a 2-1 record and the Chargers sitting at 0-3, the winner of this weekend’s game in Las Vegas will gain an upper hand in the AFC West.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Their time together at JMU could offer Sweazie an upper hand.
    — Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of upper hand
Noun
  • The chicken wings, tenders and sandwiches get top billing here.
    — Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Dry complexions may get top billing here, but this lightweight overachiever plays just as nicely with combination, oily, acne-prone, and everything-in-between skin.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of top billing
Noun
  • Chris Evans and his wife Alba Baptista, 29, can count themselves among Hollywood’s most limelight-shy couples.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Yet somehow, the 469 square miles of New York City tend to hog all the limelight.
    — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of limelight
Noun
  • The Sun enters your 12th House, drawing your attention toward rest, reflection, privacy, unfinished matters, and everything easier to hear when the outside world becomes less demanding.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 23 Oct. 2026
  • If they really can’t be bothered to show some respect then we shouldn’t be bothered enough to give them our attention and money.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of attention

Browse Nearby Words

catatonic
catbird seat
catbird seats
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Cite this Entry

“Catbird seat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catbird%20seat. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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