better than

better than

1. More skilled or adept at something than someone else is. Oh, he's way better than me at basketball— I can hardly make a basket!
2. More than. Hey, I did better than half the work on this project—now it's your turn to do something!
See also: better
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

better than

1. Superior to, as in He's no better than Tom at writing a memo. [9th century]
2. More than, larger in amount or greater in rate, as in My new car can do better than 100 miles an hour, or The new plan will cut better than 15 percent of costs. Some authorities consider this usage colloquial and advise that it be avoided in formal writing. [Late 1500s] Also see better half, def. 1.
See also: better
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
See also:
  • be (one's) strong point
  • be your strong point/suit
  • be (someone's) strong suit
  • lose a step
  • long suit
  • long suit, one's
  • strong suit
  • a/one step ahead
  • one jump ahead
  • one jump ahead of someone/something
References in classic literature
"I shall shake my head when you write, if you don't do it better than you did in making out this catalogue."
She went to a dame-school and learnt a few useful things well; that is better than a smattering of half a dozen so-called higher branches, I take the liberty of thinking."
Eight Cousins
Know, you young greenhorn, that I was covered with honours before ever you were born; and you are nothing better than a wretched little worm, torn in two with coughing, and dying slowly of your own malice and unbelief.
The Idiot
"I could hit out better than most men at Oxford, and yet I believe you would knock me into next week if I were to have a baltle with you."
"I like breakfast-time better than any other moment in the day," said Mr.
Adam Bede
A born provincial man who has a grain of public spirit as well as a few ideas, should do what he can to resist the rush of everything that is a little better than common towards London.
Middlemarch
There's folks in the world as know better than everybody else."
There were few things he liked better than a chat with Mr.
The Mill on the Floss
'In his crossest humours, formerly, I liked him better than I do in his present curious mood.
Wuthering Heights
He was only eighteen, but he could navigate better than the captain.
"But if two was no better than one, as you said so yourself and as Grimshaw will bear witness, then three was no better than two except for an expense."
Michael Brother of Jerry
Since the objects of imitation are men in action, and these men must be either of a higher or a lower type (for moral character mainly answers to these divisions, goodness and badness being the distinguishing marks of moral differences), it follows that we must represent men either as better than in real life, or as worse, or as they are.
Homer, for example, makes men better than they are; Cleophon as they are; Hegemon the Thasian, the inventor of parodies, and Nicochares, the author of the Deiliad, worse than they are.
Poetics of Aristotle
But I must not detain you now; I thank you for trying my plan with your good horse, and I am sure you will find it far better than the whip.
Black Beauty
Jim he couldn't see no sense in the most of it, but he allowed we was white folks and knowed better than him; so he was satisfied, and said he would do it all just as Tom said.
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn