Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
↔️ Space between 🌄 Far place 🧊 Lack of closeness ⏳ Time gap 🙅 To withdraw 🏃 To move ahead
to distance

to distance

3 6.2
To move ahead of others in a race or competition
  • verb
  • /ˈdɪstəns/
translation icon : distanciarse de
  • But the Cyprus adventure backfired and prompted Washington to distance itself from the regime.

Examples

  • The United States, whose policymakers were encouraging a democratic government, began to distance itself.

    Academic text (1990)

  • The champion swimmer sought to distance herself from her competitors right from the start.

  • We can distance them, but they can distance us, right?

  • This morning he out-distanced me beautifully.

    Gilda (1946)

  • Modern American society has tried to distance itself from end-of-life fretfulness.

    Academic text (2015)

  • The cyclist managed to distance herself from the group, ensuring an easy victory.

  • In the final lap, he distanced the other runners with a strong burst of speed.

Synonyms

to get ahead
vsto distance
83 3.4

Do better than others, for example at work or school

describes moving ahead but often as a general advantage, not race-specific
to outpace
vsto distance
20 4.9

To move, grow, or develop faster than another

advances ahead without emphasizing speed as main feature
to outstrip
vsto distance
7 6.8

To become faster, better, or larger than another

moves ahead but is more about improving size or performance
to outdistance
vsto distance
2 6.7

Get much farther ahead of other people in a race or competition

moves ahead but not necessarily by a large margin
to outrace
vsto distance
1 5.9

To get ahead of others in progress or achievement

focuses on competition or race context instead of mainly development
to draw away
vsto distance
1 4.6

To move ahead of others in a race or competition

is used for moving ahead generally, not only during races

Antonyms

to follow
∞ 1.0

To come after something in time or order

to lag
24 3.0

To move or develop more slowly than others

Idioms

to keep one's distance (from)
12 4.2

To stay away from people or things to avoid close contact

to be within striking distance
8 4.7

Close enough to get what you want soon

Phrasal Verbs

to distance oneself from
75 7.0

Keep away from someone or something to show no connection

to keep one's distance
32 3.9

To stay away from people or things to avoid close contact

to go the distance
16 4.6

To keep working on a task until it is finished, even when it is hard

Compounds

long-distance
50 3.0

A telephone call to a place far away that may cost more

long distance
46 3.2

A phone call to a place far away that costs extra

long-distance
38 3.4

That goes over a large distance for travel, sport, or relationships

long-distance call
11 2.3

A phone conversation with someone in another area that costs extra

striking distance
9 5.1

A short distance close enough to reach a goal, like a summit or victory

long-distance runner
2 2.7

A person who takes part in races over long distances like marathons

middle distance
2 3.7

The part of a picture or view between things near you and things far away

mean distance
  • Specialized
1 8.5

Average of the farthest and nearest distances of a planet or satellite from the body it orbits

healthy distance
1 4.2

A space between people that keeps them comfortable and respected

skip distance
  • Specialized
1 9.9

The shortest distance from a radio transmitter where radio waves bounced by the ionosphere can be picked up

distance vision
  • Specialized
4.2

Being able to see things clearly from far away

angular distance
  • Specialized
8.3

The angle between two vectors that shows how different they are

angular distance
  • Specialized
8.2

The angle between two objects as seen from one place, measured in degrees

focal distance
  • Specialized
5.2

The distance from a lens or mirror to the point where parallel light rays meet

hyperfocal distance
  • Specialized
9.1

Distance from the camera lens to the nearest point that looks sharp when the lens is focused very far away

How Far

to pull away
86 3.5
to distance
3 6.2

Surface Forms

distance infinitive
distanced past
distanced past participle
distancing present participle
distances third person singular

Etymology

The verb distance comes from Latin distare 'to stand apart', and it keeps that idea of space. So to distance a competitor is to make space between you and them, like a runner who pulls ahead.