doing better than

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "doing better than" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to compare the performance or condition of one person or thing to another, indicating that one is performing at a higher level. Example: "In this competition, she is doing better than all her peers, showcasing her exceptional skills."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"Our economy is doing better than most.

The New York Times

He ended up doing better than most.

The New York Times

Financially, we're doing better than ever.

The New Yorker

People are doing better than ever.

Cornell University

He's doing better than Goldsmith, though.

The Guardian

He's even doing better than Romney.

The New Yorker

" 'Hardball' is doing better than ever".

The New York Times

Why is Brazil doing better than other neighboring countries?

Yale University

And he may be even doing better than that.

Independent

It turns out she is doing better than she thought.

The New York Times

"They're shellshocked, but they're doing better than you'd expect".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When comparing entities, clearly specify the criteria for "better" to avoid ambiguity. For example, "Our sales team is doing better than last quarter in terms of revenue growth."

Common error

Avoid using "doing better than" without specifying what aspect is superior. Instead of saying "Our product is doing better than theirs", specify "Our product is doing better than theirs in terms of customer satisfaction and ease of use."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "doing better than" functions as a comparative expression, indicating a superior level of performance or achievement relative to another entity or benchmark. As Ludwig highlights, this phrase is frequently used to compare different subjects.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Academia

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "doing better than" is a versatile comparative expression used to indicate superior performance or a more favorable condition relative to a specified comparison point. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, this phrase is grammatically sound and highly prevalent across diverse fields, especially in news, academia, and business. It's crucial to specify the criteria when using this phrase to avoid ambiguity. While generally neutral, it fits comfortably in both formal and informal communications. Consider "outperforming", "exceeding expectations", or "surpassing" as potential alternatives to enhance precision or formality.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Outperforming

Focuses specifically on exceeding performance metrics.

Exceeding expectations

Highlights surpassing anticipated outcomes.

Surpassing

Indicates a higher level of achievement or quality.

Making more progress than

Emphasizes the rate of advancement compared to another entity.

Advancing further than

Similar to "making more progress", but highlights the distance covered.

Progressing at a faster rate than

Specifically indicates a higher speed of development.

Improving at a higher rate than

Focuses on the rate of improvement.

Doing a superior job compared to

Emphasizes the quality of work being done.

More successful than

Highlights overall success compared to another.

Achieving more than

Focuses on the attainment of goals.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "doing better than" to sound more formal?

Consider using phrases such as "outperforming", "surpassing", or "exceeding expectations". For example, instead of "Our company is doing better than our competitors", try "Our company is "outperforming" our competitors".

What does it mean when someone says something is "doing better than expected"?

It means that the performance or results are exceeding the initial forecasts or anticipations. This implies a positive surprise or a more favorable outcome than originally anticipated.

Is it grammatically correct to say "doing better than I"?

While it's commonly used in informal contexts, it's grammatically more precise to say "doing better than me". The objective pronoun "me" is correct because it functions as the object of the preposition "than".

What's a simple way to say "doing better than" in everyday conversation?

You could use phrases like "ahead of", "exceeding", or "surpassing". For instance, "He's "ahead of" the curve", meaning he's "doing better than" others in his field.