better than with

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "better than with" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when comparing two situations or methods, indicating a preference for one over the other. Example: "I find it better than with traditional methods." Alternative expressions include "preferable to" and "superior to."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Better than with Cruyff and Keizer".

The Guardian - Sport

They were even better than with prosciutto.

The New York Times - Food

Long-term survival is better than with non-linked prostheses.

Orthopaedics & Traumatology: Surgery & Research

I realized that I liked working with people better than with spreadsheets.

University of California, Berkeley

We tested the idea and the results were impressive – it was even better than with children".

The Guardian

Results were better than with atlas-based (thresholded probability map) or semi-automatic segmentations.

NeuroImage

With the binary mixture, the packing performed slightly better than with a three-component mixture.

Chemical Engineering Science

Results are better than with the traditional techniques and the gain in time is considerable.

Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery

There was a woman there that his father liked talking golf with better than with his mother.

The New Yorker

Hemingway took several large swallows and said he gets along fine with animals, sometimes better than with human beings.

The New Yorker

And he began to think that "This American Life" could do better than with PRI as a distributor.

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use this phrase when you need to highlight the relative efficacy of a specific method or instrument in scientific writing, as it clearly isolates the variable being discussed.

Common error

Writers often omit the second "with" in a comparison, which can lead to ambiguity. In the sentence "He works better with Alice than Bob", it is unclear if Alice is a better partner for him than Bob is, or if he works better when Alice is present than when Bob is present. Using "better than with" clarifies the latter.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "better than with" functions as a comparative construction. According to Ludwig, it serves to link a comparative adjective ("better") with a conditional or instrumental prepositional phrase. It allows for a specific comparison of outcomes or states associated with a particular tool, partner or condition.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

55%

News & Media

30%

Academia

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Social Media

2%

Wiki

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "better than with" is a highly versatile and grammatically sound phrase used to draw precise comparisons. Ludwig AI data demonstrates its strong presence in professional and scientific writing, where it helps maintain parallel structure and clarity. Whether comparing clinical treatments, technological tools or interpersonal relationships, this construction ensures that the reader understands exactly what is being measured. It is a reliable choice for writers seeking to emphasize a specific improvement or a preferred method over another.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

superior to

More formal and implies a higher quality or rank

better results than with

Adds clarity by explicitly mentioning the outcomes

more effective than with

Focuses specifically on the result or functionality

more successful than with

Emphasizes the achievement of a goal

greater than with

Used when comparing quantitative measurements like volume or size

preferable to using

Indicates a subjective choice or a recommended method

more advantageous than

Highlights the benefits or utility of one option over the other

improved compared to

Suggests a historical progression or iterative enhancement

favorable relative to

A slightly more technical way to express preference

outperforming

Stronger verb that implies a competitive advantage

FAQs

How do I use "better than with" in a sentence?

You can use it to compare two methods or conditions. For example: "The engine performs "better than with" the previous fuel mixture" or "I get along with dogs "better than with" people".

What can I say instead of "better than with"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "superior to", "more effective than" or "improved results compared to".

Is "better than with" grammatically correct?

Yes, it is perfectly correct. It uses the comparative adjective "better" followed by the conjunction "than" and the preposition "with" to create a specific comparison between two prepositional phrases.

What is the difference between "better than" and "better than with"?

The phrase "better than" compares two nouns directly, whereas "better than with" compares the relationship or result involving those nouns. For example, "A is better than B" compares the items themselves, while "It works better with A than with B" compares the outcomes when using each item.