ENGLISH
REFERENCE

get ahead of

phr. v..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford General-service

phr. v.. to make more progress than others or to deal with a problem before it happens.

phr. v.. to surpass others in progress or achievement; alternatively, to act proactively to manage a situation before it becomes problematic.


SIMPLE

She works hard to get ahead of her classmates.

CONTEXTUAL

The company released a statement early to get ahead of the negative rumors.

COMPLEX

By investing in renewable energy now, the firm hopes to get ahead of the upcoming environmental regulations and secure a market lead.

Particles
ahead of
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
get + ahead + of + object
Usage

usually followed by a person, a competitor, or a potential problem.

Teaching tip

highlight the two nuances: the competitive sense (beating others) and the proactive sense (preventing trouble); 'get ahead of the curve' is a common related idiom.

Pitfall

He got ahead his work.He got ahead of his work.the preposition 'of' is essential to connect the verb phrase to the object.

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