by a great margin

USAGE SUMMARY

"by a great margin" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate a large difference between two items. For example: "Our team won the competition by a great margin."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

But he was by a great margin the most adored.

The Guardian

The leader of the pack, by a great margin, was a Reuters article headlined "Boring, Passive Work May Hasten Death: Study".

The New York Times - Magazine

More precisely, the focus of the book is biased towards the "search" rather than the "engines" as, in most places, discussions on effectiveness dominate those on efficiency by a great margin.

Information Processing & Management

Bobby Fischer, the most compelling chess player of the last century by a great margin, stumbled through a chaotic fuckery of an existence.

Vice

One on one polls show that Bernie beats Trump, Cruz and others handily, by a great margin than does Hillary Clinton.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

Although she is now the oldest justice on the court, it's not by such a great margin; Antonin Scalia and Anthony Kennedy are only three years younger.

The Guardian - Opinion

Only once in their entire history have United won an away game in Europe by a greater margin.

Independent

At the time of this writing, Obama is doing better among evangelical Christians than Kerry did in 2004, and he's winning Catholic voters by a greater margin than the one by which Bush won them four years ago.

The Guardian - Opinion

That may be somewhat insulting to a Spurs side that, while short of their best here, showed character and would have won by a greater margin had it not been for an inspired performance by Jussi Jaaskelainen.

The Guardian - Sport

A Fed survey released this week shows them tightening lending standards to consumers by a greater margin than at any time in the survey's 40-year history, except for Mr Carter's short-lived imposition of credit controls.

The Economist

Indeed women support Mr Obama by a greater margin than they did John Kerry (51% to George Bush's 48%) or Al Gore (54% to 43%).Women vote in larger numbers than men, and have done so in every election since 1964.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "by a great margin" to emphasize a clear and easily noticeable difference between two things being compared. It adds weight to the comparison.

Common error

While grammatically correct, "by a great margin" can sound overly formal in casual conversation. Opt for simpler alternatives like "easily" or "by far" in informal settings.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "by a great margin" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb or clause to indicate the extent or degree to which something occurs. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "by a great margin" is a grammatically sound and versatile adverbial phrase used to emphasize a substantial difference or lead. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it functions to highlight significance, though it's relatively rare in everyday language. While appropriate for both neutral and formal registers, simpler alternatives exist for casual settings. It appears most frequently in "News & Media" and "Science" contexts. Remember to use this phrase when you want to clearly communicate a notable advantage or disparity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

by a wide margin

This alternative uses "wide" instead of "great", conveying a similar sense of considerable difference.

by a considerable extent

This phrase replaces "margin" with "extent", focusing on the degree of difference.

to a great extent

This is another alternative that replaces the word "margin" with extent and is more focused on the measure.

by a large degree

Similar to 'by a considerable extent', but emphasizes the measurement of the difference.

by a significant amount

Replaces "margin" with "amount" to highlight the quantity of the difference.

significantly

This single-word alternative directly expresses a notable difference, simplifying the phrase.

substantially

This is a synonym for significantly and it expresses a large amount or degree.

by a good way

More informal than "by a great margin", but still indicates a noticeable difference.

by leaps and bounds

Idiomatic expression suggesting very rapid progress or a very large difference.

comfortably

This suggests an easy victory or a clear advantage, implying a substantial margin.

FAQs

What does "by a great margin" mean?

The phrase "by a great margin" means that something exceeds something else by a considerable amount or degree. It emphasizes a significant difference.

When is it appropriate to use "by a great margin"?

It is appropriate to use "by a great margin" in both formal and informal contexts when you want to highlight a substantial difference or lead. However, be mindful of your audience and consider alternatives like "significantly" or "substantially" for a more concise statement.

What are some synonyms for "by a great margin"?

Some synonyms for "by a great margin" include "by a wide margin", "considerably", ""significantly"", and ""substantially"".

Is it better to say "by a great margin" or "by a large margin"?

Both "by a great margin" and "by a large margin" are grammatically correct and have very similar meanings. The choice between them is often a matter of personal preference, although "by a great margin" might be perceived as slightly more emphatic.