74 Idioms about Winning in English (With Meanings & Examples)

1. Win hands down

Meaning

In short: Win easily and clearly.

In detail: Neutral and safe, from a jockey dropping his hands because no more effort was needed. It states the margin without insulting the loser.

Examples in a sentence

• She won the debate hands down.
• They won hands down and everyone knew it by half-time.
• Of the three options, the second wins hands down.

Other ways to say it: win by a mile, come out on top, win comfortably.

2. Win by a mile

Meaning

In short: Win by an enormous margin.

In detail: Informal and exaggerated. It is neutral in tone, so it is safe in most company.

Examples in a sentence

• He won by a mile.
• Their proposal was better by a mile.
• We did not just win, we won by a mile.

Other ways to say it: win hands down, win at a canter, run away with it.

3. A landslide

Meaning

In short: A win by an overwhelming margin.

In detail: Neutral and common in politics and elections. It describes the size of the result, not the quality of the winner.

Examples in a sentence

• She won the seat in a landslide.
• The vote was a landslide.
• Nobody predicted a landslide.

Other ways to say it: a rout, a clean sweep, an overwhelming victory.

4. Wipe the floor with someone

Meaning

In short: Defeat someone completely and humiliatingly.

In detail: Informal and brutal. The point is not the margin, it is the humiliation, so this is a phrase for friends and rivals, not for a public post. This is the one that cost my student a friendship.

Examples in a sentence

• She wiped the floor with him in the final.
• We got wiped the floor with, honestly.
• Do not wipe the floor with them. We have to work with them next year.

Other ways to say it: thrash, take apart, beat comprehensively.

5. Run rings around someone

Meaning

In short: Be so much better that the other side cannot keep up.

In detail: Informal and slightly mocking. It emphasises skill rather than score, and it is often used about someone younger or cleverer.

Examples in a sentence

• The intern ran rings around the whole department.
• Their lawyer ran rings around ours.
• He runs rings around me at chess.

Other ways to say it: outclass, outplay, leave standing.

6. Leave someone in the dust

Meaning

In short: Get so far ahead that the others are irrelevant.

In detail: Informal and American in flavour, from a race. It is competitive and a little unkind.

Examples in a sentence

• Their app left the competition in the dust.
• She left the rest of us in the dust.
• We were left in the dust within a year.

Other ways to say it: leave standing, blow past, outstrip.

7. Blow someone out of the water

Meaning

In short: Defeat or outperform someone spectacularly.

In detail: Informal and dramatic, from naval warfare. It is used about proposals, performances and products more than about people.

Examples in a sentence

• Their pitch blew ours out of the water.
• The new model blows the old one out of the water.
• She blew every other candidate out of the water.

Other ways to say it: blow away, outclass, crush.

8. Take someone to the cleaners

Meaning

In short: Defeat someone badly, or take all their money.

In detail: Informal and harsh. It carries a suggestion that the loser was stripped of everything, so it is common about divorces, lawsuits and poker.

Examples in a sentence

• Their lawyers took us to the cleaners.
• He got taken to the cleaners in the settlement.
• We took them to the cleaners at cards, and then bought them dinner.

Other ways to say it: clean someone out, wipe someone out, fleece someone.

9. A walkover

Meaning

In short: A win with no real opposition.

In detail: Neutral, and it describes the contest rather than the winner. It slightly diminishes the achievement, which is why winners rarely use it about themselves.

Examples in a sentence

• The final was a walkover.
• Nobody stood against her, so it was a walkover.
• We expected a fight and got a walkover.

Other ways to say it: a cakewalk, an easy win, no contest.

10. In the bag

Meaning

In short: Certain to be won.

In detail: Informal and confident, and it is famously said just before things go wrong. Use it about a result that is not yet official at your own risk.

Examples in a sentence

• Three goals up with ten minutes left. It is in the bag.
• Do not act like the promotion is in the bag.
• The contract is in the bag.

Other ways to say it: a done deal, a sure thing, all sewn up.

11. A slam dunk

Meaning

In short: A guaranteed win.

In detail: American and informal, from basketball. It describes certainty rather than effort, and it is common in business and law.

Examples in a sentence

• The case is a slam dunk.
• This campaign is not the slam dunk they promised.
• Signing him was a slam dunk.

Other ways to say it: in the bag, a sure thing, a certainty.

12. All sewn up

Meaning

In short: Settled and won, with nothing left to decide.

In detail: Informal and neutral. It is used about deals and titles that are effectively finished.

Examples in a sentence

• The title is all sewn up with three games to spare.
• We had it all sewn up by Tuesday.
• The deal is not sewn up yet, so say nothing.

Other ways to say it: in the bag, a done deal, wrapped up.

13. Win by a nose

Meaning

In short: Win by the smallest possible margin.

In detail: Neutral, from horse racing where a horse wins by the length of its nose. It emphasises how close the result was.

Examples in a sentence

• She won by a nose.
• Our bid won by a nose.
• He won by a nose and celebrated like it was a landslide.

Other ways to say it: win by a whisker, edge it, scrape a win.

14. Win by a whisker

Meaning

In short: Win very narrowly.

In detail: British and neutral, and interchangeable with “by a nose” and “by a hair”.

Examples in a sentence

• We won by a whisker.
• The motion passed by a whisker.
• They lost by a whisker, which is worse than losing badly.

Other ways to say it: win by a nose, win by a hair, edge it.

15. A photo finish

Meaning

In short: A result so close it needs a photograph to decide.

In detail: Neutral and vivid, and now used far beyond racing. It describes the closeness of the finish, not the winner.

Examples in a sentence

• The election was a photo finish.
• It was a photo finish and we still do not know the result.
• Two candidates, a photo finish, and one very long night.

Other ways to say it: too close to call, down to the wire, neck and neck.

16. Down to the wire

Meaning

In short: Undecided until the last possible moment.

In detail: Neutral and tense. It describes the process rather than the result, so you can go down to the wire and lose.

Examples in a sentence

• The negotiation went right down to the wire.
• It will go down to the wire on Sunday.
• We got the deal signed, but it went down to the wire.

Other ways to say it: to the last minute, a nail-biting finish, right to the end.

17. Neck and neck

Meaning

In short: Exactly level with no clear leader.

In detail: Neutral, from racing. It describes the state of a contest at a moment in time, not the ending.

Examples in a sentence

• The two parties are neck and neck in the polls.
• We were neck and neck until the final quarter.
• They ran neck and neck all season.

Other ways to say it: level pegging, too close to call, evenly matched.

18. Pip someone at the post

Meaning

In short: Beat someone at the very last moment.

In detail: British and neutral, from racing again. It is often used with sympathy for the person who was pipped.

Examples in a sentence

• We were pipped at the post by a rival agency.
• She pipped him at the post by two votes.
• Pipped at the post again, sadly.

Other ways to say it: beat at the last minute, snatch it, edge it.

19. Scrape a win

Meaning

In short: Win with the smallest possible margin, and barely.

In detail: Neutral, and it implies the performance was not good. Winners use it about themselves as a form of modesty.

Examples in a sentence

• We scraped a win in the last minute.
• They scraped through to the next round.
• A win is a win, even a scraped one.

Other ways to say it: just win, squeak through, edge it.

20. Edge it

Meaning

In short: Win by a very small margin.

In detail: British and informal, and neutral. It is common in sport and in comparing two close options.

Examples in a sentence

• We edged it in the final minute.
• For me, the second candidate just edges it.
• They edged it on penalties.

Other ways to say it: shade it, win by a nose, just about win.

21. A nail-biting finish

Meaning

In short: A tense, uncertain ending.

In detail: Neutral and vivid, and it describes how it felt to watch rather than who won.

Examples in a sentence

• It was a nail-biting finish and we won by one point.
• The whole final was nail-biting.
• After a nail-biting finish, the vote passed.

Other ways to say it: down to the wire, a tense finish, a cliffhanger.

22. Snatch victory from the jaws of defeat

Meaning

In short: Win at the last moment when you were about to lose.

In detail: Dramatic and slightly grand, so it is often used with a smile. Its opposite, “snatch defeat from the jaws of victory”, is even more common and is always a joke about failure.

Examples in a sentence

• They snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with a goal in the ninety-fourth minute.
• We snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, mainly by luck.
• Only this team could snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Other ways to say it: turn it around, come from behind, pull it out of the fire.

23. The underdog

Meaning

In short: The competitor expected to lose.

In detail: Neutral and sympathetic. English-speaking audiences are famously fond of underdogs, so this is close to a compliment.

Examples in a sentence

• Everyone loves an underdog.
• We went into the final as the underdogs.
• The underdog won, and the stadium went wild.

Other ways to say it: the outsider, the long shot, the little guy.

24. A dark horse

Meaning

In short: A competitor whose strength is unknown until they win.

In detail: Neutral, from racing. It is not the same as an underdog, because a dark horse is not expected to lose, they are simply not known at all.

Examples in a sentence

• She is the dark horse of this competition.
• Watch the dark horse in the third race.
• He turned out to be a dark horse and won the whole thing.

Other ways to say it: an unknown quantity, a surprise contender, an outsider.

25. Beat the odds

Meaning

In short: Succeed when success was unlikely.

In detail: Neutral and admiring. It is used about business, illness and sport, and it always acknowledges the difficulty.

Examples in a sentence

• The business beat the odds and survived.
• She beat the odds and made a full recovery.
• Very few beat the odds in that industry.

Other ways to say it: defy the odds, against all odds, buck the trend.

26. Against all odds

Meaning

In short: Despite everything being against you.

In detail: Neutral and slightly dramatic. It sets up the achievement, so it usually comes at the start of the sentence.

Examples in a sentence

• Against all odds, they won the league.
• She qualified against all odds.
• Against all odds, the little shop is still open.

Other ways to say it: beat the odds, defy expectation, in spite of everything.

27. Come from behind

Meaning

In short: Win after being in a losing position.

In detail: Neutral and common in sport and elections. It describes the shape of the win, and it is admired.

Examples in a sentence

• They came from behind to win it.
• A come-from-behind victory in the final ten minutes.
• We came from behind and finished second, which felt like winning.

Other ways to say it: turn it around, stage a comeback, fight back.

28. Turn the tables

Meaning

In short: Reverse a losing situation completely.

In detail: Neutral and satisfying, from board games where the board is physically turned. It implies the roles have swapped, not just the score.

Examples in a sentence

• She turned the tables on her critics.
• Two goals in five minutes turned the tables.
• The regulator turned the tables on the bank.

Other ways to say it: flip the script, reverse the situation, come from behind.

29. Stage a comeback

Meaning

In short: Return to success after a period of failure.

In detail: Neutral and common about careers, teams and brands. It always implies a fall came first.

Examples in a sentence

• He staged a comeback at forty-one.
• The brand staged an unlikely comeback.
• They staged a comeback in the second half.

Other ways to say it: bounce back, make a return, come from behind.

30. A David and Goliath story

Meaning

In short: A small competitor beating a huge one.

In detail: Neutral and biblical, and always sympathetic to the small side. It is common in business and legal reporting.

Examples in a sentence

• It is a David and Goliath story, and David won.
• The case was pure David and Goliath.
• A ten-person startup beating a global brand is a David and Goliath win.

Other ways to say it: an underdog story, a giant-killing, a stunning upset.

31. Pull off an upset

Meaning

In short: Beat the favourite unexpectedly.

In detail: Neutral and common in sport. “Upset” here is a noun, and it means the surprise result, not the emotion.

Examples in a sentence

• They pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament.
• Nobody saw the upset coming.
• The lowest-ranked team pulled off an upset.

Other ways to say it: cause a shock, beat the favourite, spring a surprise.

32. Come out on top

Meaning

In short: Win in the end.

In detail: Neutral, gracious and safe in every situation. It states the result and says nothing about the other side, which is why it is the phrase my student should have used.

Examples in a sentence

• After a long process, we came out on top.
• She always comes out on top.
• Whoever comes out on top, it has been a good contest.

Other ways to say it: win out, prevail, take it.

33. Have the upper hand

Meaning

In short: Be in the stronger position.

In detail: Neutral and strategic. It describes an advantage during a contest, not the final result.

Examples in a sentence

• The buyer has the upper hand in this market.
• We had the upper hand until they changed tactics.
• She has the upper hand in every negotiation she enters.

Other ways to say it: have the advantage, be in control, hold the cards.

34. Have the edge

Meaning

In short: Have a small advantage.

In detail: Neutral and precise. It is smaller than “the upper hand” and often decides close contests.

Examples in a sentence

• Experience gives her the edge.
• We have the edge on price, they have the edge on speed.
• It is close, but he has the edge.

Other ways to say it: have a slight advantage, be marginally ahead, shade it.

35. Be on a winning streak

Meaning

In short: Win repeatedly over a period.

In detail: Neutral and factual. It describes the run, and it works in sport, sales and gambling.

Examples in a sentence

• They are on a nine-game winning streak.
• She has been on a winning streak all quarter.
• Every winning streak ends eventually.

Other ways to say it: be on a run, be on a roll, be unbeaten.

36. Be on a roll

Meaning

In short: Be in a period where everything is going well.

In detail: Informal and energetic, from dice. It is broader than a winning streak, because it covers luck and momentum as well as results.

Examples in a sentence

• Do not stop her. She is on a roll.
• We are on a roll this month.
• He was on a roll until he tried to be clever.

Other ways to say it: be on a winning streak, be flying, be in form.

37. Ahead of the game

Meaning

In short: Better prepared or further advanced than others.

In detail: Neutral and common at work. It describes preparation and position rather than a result.

Examples in a sentence

• We are ahead of the game on compliance.
• Learning that now will keep you ahead of the game.
• They were ahead of the game by two years.

Other ways to say it: ahead of the curve, ahead of the pack, one step ahead.

38. Lead the field

Meaning

In short: Be the best in your area.

In detail: Neutral and slightly formal, from racing. It is common in business writing and about companies.

Examples in a sentence

• They lead the field in battery research.
• The clinic leads the field in this country.
• We used to lead the field, and now we follow.

Other ways to say it: be the market leader, lead the pack, set the standard.

39. In pole position

Meaning

In short: In the best position to win.

In detail: Neutral, from motor racing where pole is the front of the grid. It describes advantage before the result, not the result itself.

Examples in a sentence

• She is in pole position for the job.
• Their bid is in pole position.
• We are in pole position and it is ours to lose.

Other ways to say it: the front-runner, the favourite, best placed.

40. Streets ahead

Meaning

In short: Far better than the competition.

In detail: British and informal. It is a strong compliment about quality rather than a description of a result.

Examples in a sentence

• Their software is streets ahead of ours.
• She is streets ahead of the rest of the class.
• We were streets ahead in the first half and still lost.

Other ways to say it: far superior, in a different league, way out in front.

41. In the driving seat

Meaning

In short: In control of the situation.

In detail: Neutral and common in business and sport. It says you decide what happens next, not that you have already won.

Examples in a sentence

• Two goals up, they are in the driving seat.
• With that cash reserve, we are in the driving seat.
• She is in the driving seat of the negotiation.

Other ways to say it: in control, in charge, holding the reins.

42. Hold all the cards

Meaning

In short: Have all the advantages in a situation.

In detail: Neutral and strategic, from card games. It describes total negotiating power.

Examples in a sentence

• They hold all the cards, so we negotiate carefully.
• Once we signed, we held all the cards.
• He walked in thinking he held all the cards.

Other ways to say it: have the upper hand, be in control, hold the aces.

43. Ride high

Meaning

In short: Be enjoying great success.

In detail: Neutral and slightly cautionary, because riding high implies a fall may follow.

Examples in a sentence

• The company was riding high before the recall.
• She is riding high after the award.
• They rode high for a decade.

Other ways to say it: be on top of the world, be flying, be on a roll.

44. Take the crown

Meaning

In short: Win the top title.

In detail: Neutral and slightly grand. It is common in sport, competitions and product comparisons.

Examples in a sentence

• She took the crown for the third year running.
• A new phone has taken the crown for battery life.
• They took the crown and nobody argued.

Other ways to say it: take the title, be crowned champion, claim the top spot.

45. Carry the day

Meaning

In short: Win, especially an argument or a battle.

In detail: Formal and slightly old-fashioned, from military language. It suits debates, votes and decisions rather than sport.

Examples in a sentence

• Her argument carried the day.
• Common sense carried the day, eventually.
• The proposal carried the day by two votes.

Other ways to say it: win out, prevail, come out on top.

46. Clinch it

Meaning

In short: Secure the win with a final decisive move.

In detail: Informal and neutral. It points at the exact thing that made the difference.

Examples in a sentence

• Her closing answer clinched it.
• A goal in the last minute clinched the title.
• The price clinched it for us.

Other ways to say it: seal it, secure the win, tip the balance.

47. Seal the deal

Meaning

In short: Finalise a win or an agreement.

In detail: Informal and extremely common in business. It marks the moment the thing becomes certain.

Examples in a sentence

• Dinner with the client sealed the deal.
• We sealed the deal on Friday.
• One demonstration sealed the deal.

Other ways to say it: clinch it, close the deal, get it over the line.

48. Hit the jackpot

Meaning

In short: Win a huge prize, often by luck.

In detail: Informal and lucky, from gambling. It suggests fortune rather than skill, so it can slightly diminish an achievement.

Examples in a sentence

• They hit the jackpot with that hire.
• She hit the jackpot on her first try.
• We hit the jackpot when the site went viral.

Other ways to say it: strike gold, strike it lucky, come up trumps.

49. Strike gold

Meaning

In short: Find something extremely valuable or successful.

In detail: Informal and positive, from prospecting. It fits discoveries and hires as well as prizes.

Examples in a sentence

• They struck gold with that product line.
• We struck gold with our first supplier.
• She struck gold at the audition.

Other ways to say it: hit the jackpot, strike it rich, find a winner.

50. Come up trumps

Meaning

In short: Succeed unexpectedly, especially when it matters.

In detail: British and warm, from card games. It is usually said about someone who delivered when you needed them.

Examples in a sentence

• The whole team came up trumps.
• She came up trumps at the last minute.
• Our supplier came up trumps and delivered overnight.

Other ways to say it: deliver the goods, come through, save the day.

51. Get the nod

Meaning

In short: Be chosen or approved.

In detail: Informal and neutral, and it is common in sport selection and job decisions. It describes being picked rather than winning a contest.

Examples in a sentence

• She got the nod for the top job.
• He got the nod ahead of two more experienced players.
• Our proposal got the nod from the board.

Other ways to say it: be selected, get the green light, be picked.

52. Steal the show

Meaning

In short: Get all the attention, even if you were not the main act.

In detail: Neutral and admiring. It is a win of attention rather than of score, and it is often said about someone unexpected.

Examples in a sentence

• The support band stole the show.
• The youngest speaker stole the show.
• The dog stole the show, as dogs do.

Other ways to say it: upstage everyone, take the spotlight, be the standout.

53. Play to win

Meaning

In short: Compete seriously, not just to take part.

In detail: Neutral and determined. It states an attitude, and it is common before a contest rather than after it.

Examples in a sentence

• We are not here to make friends. We play to win.
• She plays to win, always.
• Play to win, but do not play dirty.

Other ways to say it: go for it, compete properly, aim for the top.

54. Go for gold

Meaning

In short: Aim for the highest possible achievement.

In detail: Informal and encouraging, from Olympic medals. It is used well beyond sport and is safe everywhere.

Examples in a sentence

• Do not settle for a pass. Go for gold.
• They decided to go for gold and enter the international category.
• She went for gold and got it.

Other ways to say it: aim high, shoot for the top, go all out.

55. Go for broke

Meaning

In short: Risk everything for the win.

In detail: Informal and reckless in flavour, from gambling. It implies that failure will cost you everything, which is what makes it exciting.

Examples in a sentence

• With ten minutes left, they went for broke.
• He went for broke and remortgaged the house.
• We are going for broke on this launch.

Other ways to say it: risk it all, throw everything at it, bet the farm.

56. Rise to the occasion

Meaning

In short: Perform well exactly when it matters most.

In detail: Neutral and admiring. It describes character under pressure, and it is a genuine compliment.

Examples in a sentence

• The team rose to the occasion in the final.
• She rose to the occasion and delivered the speech beautifully.
• He never quite rises to the occasion.

Other ways to say it: step up, deliver when it counts, come through.

57. Step up to the plate

Meaning

In short: Take responsibility and act when needed.

In detail: American and informal, from baseball. It is about accepting the challenge rather than winning it.

Examples in a sentence

• Somebody needs to step up to the plate.
• She stepped up to the plate when the manager resigned.
• He talks a lot and never steps up to the plate.

Other ways to say it: rise to the occasion, take charge, take responsibility.

58. Deliver the goods

Meaning

In short: Produce the result you promised.

In detail: Informal and practical, and common at work. It is about performance rather than intention.

Examples in a sentence

• He talks well, but does he deliver the goods?
• The team delivered the goods when it mattered.
• We paid a fortune and they did not deliver the goods.

Other ways to say it: come through, deliver, produce the results.

59. Bring your A game

Meaning

In short: Perform at your absolute best.

In detail: American and informal, now used everywhere. It is common as encouragement before a big moment.

Examples in a sentence

• Bring your A game on Monday. They are a serious client.
• She brought her A game to the final.
• We did not bring our A game and it showed.

Other ways to say it: be at your best, give it everything, play to win.

60. Leave it all on the field

Meaning

In short: Give absolutely everything you have.

In detail: American and emotional, from sport. It says the effort was total, whatever the result.

Examples in a sentence

• We lost, but we left it all on the field.
• She left it all on the field and had nothing to regret.
• Leave it all on the field and we will accept any result.

Other ways to say it: give it everything, hold nothing back, empty the tank.

61. Have an ace up your sleeve

Meaning

In short: Have a secret advantage in reserve.

In detail: Informal, from card cheating, so it hints at something slightly sneaky. It is usually admiring rather than accusing.

Examples in a sentence

• She always has an ace up her sleeve.
• We kept one ace up our sleeve for the final round.
• He had an ace up his sleeve and used it perfectly.

Other ways to say it: have a trump card, have something in reserve, hold something back.

62. A trump card

Meaning

In short: Your strongest advantage, saved for the right moment.

In detail: Neutral, from card games. It is the thing that beats everything else, and it is a noun.

Examples in a sentence

• Price is our trump card.
• She played her trump card at exactly the right time.
• Their trump card is the exclusive licence.

Other ways to say it: an ace up your sleeve, your best card, your winning move.

63. Play dirty

Meaning

In short: Win by cheating or unfair means.

In detail: Always critical. It is a serious accusation in business and politics, not a joke.

Examples in a sentence

• They played dirty and it worked.
• We are not going to play dirty, whatever they do.
• The campaign played dirty from the first week.

Other ways to say it: fight dirty, cheat, use underhand tactics.

64. Move the goalposts

Meaning

In short: Change the rules so the other side cannot win.

In detail: Always critical, and extremely common at work. It describes unfairness, and it is a complaint rather than a description.

Examples in a sentence

• They keep moving the goalposts on the bonus criteria.
• Every time we meet the target, they move the goalposts.
• Do not move the goalposts halfway through the process.

Other ways to say it: change the rules, shift the criteria, keep changing the terms.

65. A hollow victory

Meaning

In short: A win that gives no satisfaction.

In detail: Neutral and sad. It describes winning at the cost of something you cared about more.

Examples in a sentence

• Winning the case was a hollow victory. The friendship was over.
• It felt like a hollow victory.
• A hollow victory is still not a defeat, he said, unconvincingly.

Other ways to say it: an empty win, a bitter victory, a win that cost too much.

66. A Pyrrhic victory

Meaning

In short: A win that cost so much it was not worth having.

In detail: Formal and historical, from King Pyrrhus, who beat the Romans and lost most of his army. It is a warning, not a boast.

Examples in a sentence

• They won the lawsuit and lost the company. A Pyrrhic victory.
• The strike was a Pyrrhic victory for everyone involved.
• Do not celebrate a Pyrrhic victory.

Other ways to say it: a hollow victory, a costly win, winning the battle and losing the war.

67. Win at all costs

Meaning

In short: Win no matter what it destroys.

In detail: Critical when applied to a person. A “win at all costs” attitude is not admired in most English-speaking workplaces, whatever the films say.

Examples in a sentence

• His win-at-all-costs attitude has cost him every friend he had.
• We want to win, but not at all costs.
• A win-at-all-costs culture eventually eats itself.

Other ways to say it: ruthless, win by any means, at any price.

68. Rest on your laurels

Meaning

In short: Rely on past success and stop working.

In detail: Always critical, and always a warning. It is what happens to winners just before they stop winning.

Examples in a sentence

• One good year, and they rested on their laurels.
• Do not rest on your laurels. The market moves fast.
• She has never rested on her laurels for a day.

Other ways to say it: coast, live on past glory, take it easy too soon.

69. Winner takes all

Meaning

In short: The winner gets everything, and the loser gets nothing.

In detail: Neutral and descriptive. It is used about markets, elections and competitions where second place is worthless.

Examples in a sentence

• Tech platforms are winner-takes-all markets.
• It is a winner-takes-all contest, so second place means nothing.
• Winner takes all, which makes it brutal.

Other ways to say it: all or nothing, no prizes for second, the loser gets nothing.

70. To the victor go the spoils

Meaning

In short: The winner gets the rewards.

In detail: Formal and slightly grand. It is often used ironically, when the rewards turn out to be small.

Examples in a sentence

• He got the corner office. To the victor go the spoils.
• To the victor go the spoils, apparently, though the spoils here are a mug.
• They won the contract, and to the victor go the spoils.

Other ways to say it: winner takes all, the rewards go to the winner, spoils of war.

71. Winning isn’t everything

Meaning

In short: There are things that matter more than winning.

In detail: A saying, and it depends entirely on who says it. From a coach it is wisdom, and from someone who just lost it is a consolation.

Examples in a sentence

• Winning is not everything. How you play matters.
• Winning is not everything, said the man who never wins.
• She reminded the children that winning is not everything.

Other ways to say it: it is not all about the result, taking part matters, it is how you play.

72. It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game

Meaning

In short: Conduct matters more than the result.

In detail: A saying, sincere and sometimes mocked. It is what children are taught, and what adults quote when they lose.

Examples in a sentence

• It is not whether you win or lose, it is how you play the game.
• Tell that to the coach. It is not whether you win or lose, apparently.
• He genuinely believes it is how you play the game, and he is a better man for it.

Other ways to say it: play fair, winning is not everything, it is about sportsmanship.

73. Beginner’s luck

Meaning

In short: Winning first time through luck rather than skill.

In detail: Light and slightly dismissive. It takes credit away from the winner, so it is teasing, not praise.

Examples in a sentence

• She won her first game. Beginner’s luck.
• Call it beginner’s luck. I will take it.
• It was beginner’s luck and it never happened again.

Other ways to say it: a lucky start, a fluke, first-time luck.

74. Every dog has its day

Meaning

In short: Everyone gets their moment of success eventually.

In detail: A saying, warm and hopeful. It is said to someone who keeps losing, and it promises that the turn will come.

Examples in a sentence

• He finally won something. Every dog has its day.
• Keep going. Every dog has its day.
• Every dog has its day, and today is ours.

Other ways to say it: your turn will come, everyone gets a chance, your day will come.

Tips for Using These Idioms Naturally

• Know which ones humiliate. Wipe the floor with someone, take someone to the cleaners, run rings around someone and leave them in the dust all describe the loser’s suffering, not your success. In front of the person you beat, in an email, or in a public post, they read as gloating. This is what cost my student a professional friendship.

• The gracious ones do the same job. Come out on top, edge it, carry the day and win hands down report the result and leave the other side their dignity. In business, always choose from this group.

• Two of them are warnings. A Pyrrhic victory means the win cost more than it was worth. Resting on your laurels is what winners do right before they stop winning.

• Do not say “in the bag” too early. English speakers treat it as almost superstitious. The phrase is famous for appearing in the sentence immediately before a defeat.

• Watch the region. Pip someone at the post, streets ahead, come up trumps, edge it and scrape a win are British. Step up to the plate, bring your A game, a slam dunk, leave it all on the field and leave someone in the dust are American.