to outdo

Examples

• All

• As the two artists painted side by side, they each tried to outdo the other's creativity.

• "I think that our guys could probably outdo them," Goldstein said with a laugh.

  Blog text (23)

• Number one, to try to outdo what we did last time.

  First We Feast

• I always wanted to outdo my dad and I never can.

  The BlueTick Show

• So having him on the other side, it's just like who can outdo each other?

• One always trying to outdo the other.

  Assassin's Vow (2007)

• All four boys were trying to outdo each other, some said.

  Fiction book (1994)

• You may very well be able to outdo the government system for putting out fires.

  Blog text (15)

• Well, they had always been good barkers, but right now they were outdoing themselves.

  Fiction book (2000)

• Each driver tries to outdo the others with jump heights and car-crushing forces, showing sportsmanship and power entertainment.

  Academic text (2013)

Synonyms

E

to exceed

vsto outdo

255 4.1

To be greater than a set amount or beyond what people expect

is about beating competitors or people rather than numeric limits

S

to surpass

vsto outdo

100 4.6

To be better than another person or thing

focuses more on beating others in direct competition rather than standards

G

to get ahead

vsto outdo

83 3.4

Do better than others, for example at work or school

is about doing better in actions or results rather than only position

T

to trump

vsto outdo

78 4.8

Beat someone by doing something better

is similar but does not require one decisive more effective act

O

to outperform

vsto outdo

30 4.8

Do better than someone or something

is more general, covering any form of doing better not only measured results

B

to best

vsto outdo

23 4.2

To defeat someone in a contest or game

is broader, covering general doing better beyond contest defeat

O

to outshine

vsto outdo

15 4.8

Do better and get more attention than others

is about overall doing better, not primarily about appearance or shine

O

to outplay

vsto outdo

14 4.2

Do better than and beat an opponent in a game

covers doing better in many contexts, not only in contests

O

to outmatch

vsto outdo

8 6.4

Do better than someone in skill or performance

is broader, meaning to do better in many kinds of situations

O

to outclass

vsto outdo

8 4.6

To be much better than someone or something

can mean doing better by any small or large margin rather than huge gaps

O

to outstrip

vsto outdo

7 6.8

To become faster, better, or larger than another

is about doing better generally, not specifically faster progress

O

to outflank

vsto outdo

4 7.0

To gain an advantage over someone by using clever or unexpected actions

is about doing better generally, not requiring cunning tactics

O

to outdistance

vsto outdo

2 6.7

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

can mean doing better without implying a big gap in position

O

to outcompete

vsto outdo

2 6.1

To do better than someone or something and win

is more general and may not always imply a contest win

G

to get one up on

vsto outdo

• Informal

1 6.1

To have an advantage over someone in competition

can mean doing better in general, not only gaining a small edge

O

to outdraw

vsto outdo

1 6.7

To get more people or money than someone else

is about doing better overall, not limited to attracting numbers

O

to outrace

vsto outdo

1 5.9

To get ahead of others in progress or achievement

is general doing better, not limited to progress or development

L

to leave competitors in the dust

vsto outdo

• Informal

4.5

Do much better than other companies or teams

means doing better but does not always stress a very large lead

B

to blow the pants off

vsto outdo

• Informal

8.8

To make someone very impressed or be much better than something

is broader and can mean doing better without a dramatic show

O

to outrival

vsto outdo

7.9

Be better than someone or something in a competition

is general doing better, not limited to rivalry contexts

O

to outvie

vsto outdo

• Archaic

9.9

To try to be better than someone in a contest or task

describes doing better but without the active striving focus

O

to overgo

vsto outdo

• Archaic

9.1

To do better than someone or something

focuses more on outperforming people rather than passing a limit

O

to outgo

vsto outdo

8.1

To be better than another person or thing

is closely related but presented as an older or less common form

O

to outstand

vsto outdo

7.6

To be better than others in skill or quality

is more about active doing better rather than a static superior state

How Well

to excel

58 3.7

to outperform

30 4.8

to outdo

22 3.8

to do well

520 1.2

to fail

898 1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology