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
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Recent Examples of catbird seat
The upstart state assemblymember is at the forefront of a coalition of progressives seeking to block former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo from taking the proverbial catbird seat in Gracie Mansion.
—
James Powel, USA Today, 24 June 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
James Powel, USA Today, 24 June 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
Noun
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Defending Houston Open champion Min Woo Lee and Michael Thorbjornsen are both at 12-under 198 through three rounds, meaning Woodland, at 18-under, has a 6-stroke advantage over the third-place golfers.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
29 Mar. 2026
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Led by McKenney and Gayle, the Wolverines (34-3) enjoyed a 33-6 advantage in bench points.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Lowland Celery Salad Celery, please step center stage and into the spotlight.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
26 Mar. 2026
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The landscaping, gardening and home improvement show features a garden promenade, highlighting design trends and hardscaping products; seminars on the cooking patio and garden center stage; gardening presentations; and more.—
Hannah Kirby,
jsonline.com,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
When looking at the largest metro areas, the fastest growing counties tended to be on the outer edges.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2026
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The Chiefs have now turned their attention to the secondary waves of free agency while looking ahead to the draft — with top needs at cornerback, edge and offensive tackle, by my estimation.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Far from a depressing gray room located in a basement, The Bridge and its massive windows put a spotlight on the natural beauty of Hong Kong.—
Matt Ortile,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
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Now in its 30th year, the Webby Awards spotlight Internet excellence, from viral memes and podcasters to content creators and filmmakers.—
Annie Harrigan,
Billboard,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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As this battle plays out, some experts say Anthropic would probably have an upper hand in court.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
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This approach could transform potential adversaries into advocates, giving leadership an upper hand when activist pressure mounts.—
Sam Wolf,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Ham and lamb may get top billing, but the real stars of Easter dinner are the sides.—
Phoebe Fry,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
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Broadway, writes my USA TODAY colleague Patrick Ryan, is giving some of those issues top billing during the 2026 season.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The series turned Van Der Beek into a youth heartthrob and catapulted him into the national limelight.—
Daniel Arkin,
NBC news,
11 Feb. 2026
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While much of the debate (and excitement) centers on the selection of Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny as the headliner, punk rock fans are eager to see how and what opening band Green Day will do with its moment in the national limelight.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Plan well in advance The buzz is big — and few Charlotte restaurant openings have gotten this much attention recently.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Mar. 2026
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Thankfully, having children is not a job requirement, but your inner child will rejoice at all the attention.—
Emily Menez,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catbird seat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catbird%20seat. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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