Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumIdioms and Idiomatic Expressions

Read the sentence below carefully. Which idiomatic expression correctly fills the blank to complete the sentence's intended meaning?

Answer:By quietly securing the manufacturing patent before its main rival launched a similar product, the startup was able to 【steal a march on】 its competitor in the market.

Answer

The correct idiomatic expression to complete the sentence is 'steal a march on'.
The expression 'steal a march on' means to gain an advantage over someone, especially a rival or competitor, by acting secretly, promptly, or unexpectedly before they are aware of what is happening. In this context, obtaining the patent early allowed the company to gain an unexpected head start over its competitor.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context of the sentence
The context describes a startup secretly taking action ahead of a business rival to gain a competitive edge.
Identifying contextual clues about stealth and early advantage helps determine the appropriate figurative phrase.
2
Match the meaning to the appropriate idiomatic phrase
The idiom 'steal a march on' means to gain a secret, unexpected, or clever advantage over a rival.
Securing the patent before the rival could launch their product directly exemplifies stealing a march on a competitor.

Key Concept

Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Rate this question

Topics

Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions

More questions from this topic