one step ahead
38
4.0
- idiom
:
un paso por delante
- The battle continues as hackers try to stay one step ahead of their government counterparts.
- stay one step ahead
- always one step ahead
And so, you know, the, the Armstrong of it was always trying to stay one step ahead of the science.
- And so, you know, the, the Armstrong of it was always trying to stay one step ahead of the science.
- But you, as a great man and visionary, your job is to understand that game and be one step ahead.
- This is the reason why human potential is not unleashed because if you're racing with a lame person, you're just happy you're one step ahead of him.
- It's, I think it's the, it's the ultimate weapon because if you can control the people with their fingers on nuclear weapons, you're one step ahead.
Examples
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Charities and other NGOs changing their names to evade sanctions are often able to stay one step ahead of governments.
Academic text (2008) -
A lifetime politician who tries to stay one step ahead of term limits.
Blog text (34) -
I just feel like I need to stay one step ahead of her.
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But we are one step ahead of them.
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But as long as I stay one step ahead of him... ...I think I have a shot at a fun summer.
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I'll always be one step ahead of you.
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The Native Americans were one step ahead; they already knew it was there.
Blog text (26) -
Dennis, as usual, was one step ahead.
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No matter what the police did, Dante was always one step ahead.
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To achieve success in business, it's important to stay one step ahead of your competitors.
Synonyms
690
1.0
In a leading position with a higher score than others
24
2.7
In a first position that gives an advantage in a competition
15
4.4
In a better position because you act or prepare earlier than others
15
5.6
Having more knowledge or skill than most others in a field
5
4.3
Much more prepared and able to guess what will happen than other people
4
5.6
Much more advanced than others in development and skill
3
4.4
Being more successful than others in the same group
Ahead of others in a game or race
Much better than others in the same field
How Ahead
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from the constituents: 'one' (a single unit) + 'step' (a discrete move/progress) + 'ahead' (in front/leading), yielding the sense of being slightly more advanced or advantaged. This spatial/progressive composition is cross-linguistically common and follows transparent metaphorical mapping, so a B1 learner who knows the words can infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
One step ahead paints a simple picture: you take one small step forward so you are ahead of someone else. That's why it means being 'better prepared' or 'in a stronger position'.