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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Illinois, which had a huge height advantage, held VCU to 35% shooting and outrebounded the Rams 45-29.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
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Oklahoma used a 7-0 run late in the first quarter for a double-digit advantage and then outscored Idaho 30-16 in the second quarter for a 57-35 lead at the half.—
Rachel Roberts,
Idaho Statesman,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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Fiction became reality as Copeland took to the stage on Sunday — for the first time since retiring from the American Ballet Theatre in October 2025 — pirouetting in a fiery, feathery ensemble onto center stage during the segment’s closing notes.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Samara Weaving returns with sharper edges, this time facing off against four families in a plot that veers toward global domination.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
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The neighborhood/area Hotel June sits at the northern edge of Malibu, just a few minutes from the Pacific Coast Highway, putting the coast and Santa Monica Bay at your doorstep.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The weekly column takes you behind the scenes and shines a spotlight on unique stories.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
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Member spotlights include Mississippi, New Zealand, Finland, Iceland, New Mexico and Japan.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
23 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
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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
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The group has top billing at Barcelona’s Primavera Sound festival in June and Atlanta’s Shaky Knees festival in September.—
William Vaillancourt,
Rolling Stone,
8 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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The nurturing Moon pokes Mars today, drawing attention to your 2nd House of Objects and your 11th House of Groups.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Mar. 2026
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Rosenstock noted that the company approached the women’s collection with exceptional care and attention to detail, relying on its in-house denim expertise to get the fit and feel exactly right.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catbird seat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catbird%20seat. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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