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
-
Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has proved its biggest strategic advantage in the war.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The Penguins opted to sit Crosby and several other regulars after clinching a playoff berth for the first time since the 2021-22 season and home ice advantage throughout the first round.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And that’s before a global pandemic emerged that would shut down schools, and the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which would spark a racial reckoning across America and place the teaching of race center stage in national presidential politics.—
Megan Molteni,
STAT,
7 Apr. 2026
-
On the campaign trail, Fuller and Harris' military backgrounds brought their opposing views on the war in Iran center stage.—
Halle Troadec,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The company, Zhan expects, will be more efficient than other cutting-edge labs due to his experience building Gemini, which is Google’s artificial intelligence model.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
In men’s sports, fandom comes with much more of an edge.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The national spotlight that once fixed on Dearborn during the 2024 election has faded.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
As one of a small number of Jewish men’s basketball players in the Big Ten Conference, Hochberg has stepped into a rare spotlight, embracing his role as a visible Jewish athlete at the highest level of college basketball.—
Adam Finkel,
Sun Sentinel,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
My colleague Nancy Youssef, a staff writer who covers the Pentagon and has been reporting on the negotiations, told me that this time, Iran has a clear upper hand.—
Will Gottsegen,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The experience creep phenomenon is particularly acute in tech, which is the softest of sectors in terms of hiring, giving employers a firm upper hand.—
Claire Zillman,
Fortune,
3 Apr. 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
-
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
-
After weeks of seeming sidelined by his boss and the more interventionist members of the administration, such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vance may appreciate a moment in the global limelight and will be disinclined to leave the talks empty-handed.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2026
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However, panicle hydrangeas like limelight that bloom in the summer.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This week’s wellness trends highlight what’s worth your attention and what may not live up to the hype.—
Abby Norman,
Verywell Health,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The food is elegant yet playful with impeccable attention to detail.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catbird seat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catbird%20seat. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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