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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From roster makeup to individual position battles to the coaches looking to exploit any advantage on the field, every bit of film is scrutinized to see which team has the advantage in January.—
J.J. Bailey,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
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Despite being given three power plays in the first, the B’s were not good at all on the man advantage.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Technology, the execs acknowledge, will be center stage in the talks with studios and streamers given the leap forward in AI in the three years since the last round of negotiations.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
9 Jan. 2026
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Recovering consumer demand in China remains center stage, the reported added.—
Tasmin Lockwood,
CNBC,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The sense of sunrise or sunset invokes a time of change, being on the edge.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Cropped bomber jackets add polish, edge, and proportion, all without overwhelming a smaller frame.—
Nicol Natale,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Nearly eight months after being thrust into the national spotlight following an improbable run to the NCAA Tournament, the Arkansas-Little Rock men's baseball team held its annual media day Tuesday ahead of the upcoming season.—
Michael Harley,
Arkansas Online,
21 Jan. 2026
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As Prince Harry stepped out in London for the second day in a row amid his lawsuit against the publishers of the Daily Mail, his brother and sister-in-law were over 400 miles away, visiting Stirling and Falkirk to shine a spotlight on Scottish traditions that are continuing to connect communities.—
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
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There are a limited number of sites these facilities can go, giving local governments an upper hand in negotiations.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
7 Jan. 2026
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Brouk & Co Pearl Travel Jewelry Case Anything from Oprah’s Favorites list already has an upper hand in White Elephant, and this travel jewelry case proves why.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Given top billing for the first time while Jayson Tatum recovers from Achilles surgery, the 29-year-old is putting together the best season of his career as the leader of a Celtics team that has far exceeded preseason expectations.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
4 Jan. 2026
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The moon and sun share top billing in 2026.—
Marcia Dunn,
Fortune,
28 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Brian King Joseph may be entering the legal limelight with his lawsuit against Will Smith, but the musician is no stranger to showbiz.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
2 Jan. 2026
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Automotive companies like Ford and GM usually get the most limelight, but there were many others, like Singer, a company that normally makes sewing machines, that started making firearm components.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
28 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Microsoft is paying close to attention to the impact of its data centers on local residents.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Play close attention to those quotation marks.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catbird seat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catbird%20seat. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
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