Idiom
punch above one's weight
Meaning
To (attempt to) achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“The small team often punches above its weight in competitions.”
“You really punch above your weight when you play tennis against professionals.”
“Even though our company is quite small, we often punch above our weight when competing against much larger firms.”
“The local charity manages to punch above its weight by using social media to reach thousands of donors with almost no budget.”
“Although he is only a junior researcher, he punches above his weight by publishing articles in the world's most famous medical journals.”
“Despite lacking significant funding or resources, the startup consistently punched above its weight, securing contracts that industry giants had long considered their own.”
Examples
simple
“The small team often punches above its weight in competitions.”
“You really punch above your weight when you play tennis against professionals.”
contextual
“Even though our company is quite small, we often punch above our weight when competing against much larger firms.”
“The local charity manages to punch above its weight by using social media to reach thousands of donors with almost no budget.”
“Although he is only a junior researcher, he punches above his weight by publishing articles in the world's most famous medical journals.”
complex
“Despite lacking significant funding or resources, the startup consistently punched above its weight, securing contracts that industry giants had long considered their own.”
Origin
A 20th-century allusion to the sport of boxing, specifically regarding a fighter who delivers strikes with greater force than is typical for their weight class. The image describes a participant who, while physically smaller, possesses the power to challenge those in a superior division.
Key words
Related idioms
- Updated