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Question

Difficulty: HardIdioms and Idiomatic Expressions

Complete the sentence below by entering the word that correctly completes the idiomatic expression.

Answer:To gain a significant advantage over their competitors in the tech sector, the startup managed to 【steal】 a march on the industry leaders by releasing their application months ahead of schedule.

Answer

The word required to complete the idiomatic phrase is 'steal'.
The correct idiomatic expression is 'to steal a march on (someone)', which means to gain an advantage over a competitor, especially by acting quietly, unexpectedly, or before they are prepared. Therefore, 'steal' is the only correct word.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the contextual clue in the sentence
The sentence refers to getting ahead of competitors unexpectedly or earlier than anticipated.
Idiomatic expressions depend heavily on contextual meaning to determine the exact fixed phrase required.
2
Identify the standard idiomatic expression
The established English idiom meaning to gain an advantage over someone by acting secretively or earlier than expected is 'to steal a march on'.
Idioms are fixed grammatical and lexical units whose individual words cannot be freely substituted.

Key Concept

Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions

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