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单词 best
释义

Definition of best in English:

best

adjective bɛstbɛst

  • 1Of the most excellent or desirable type or quality.

    the best midfielder in the country
    how to obtain the best results from your machine
    her best black suit
    Example sentencesExamples
    • The only way to survive this section of the evening is for the host to break open the very best wine in his cellar.
    • It's pretty much the best political satire that is going on on US TV at the moment.
    • This shows, for example, that the best plants can be up to six times more productive than the worst.
    • The injury to the world's best fast bowler has cast the Ashes battle in a completely new light.
    • Profitable routes get the best buses because that is where the money is made.
    • The best and most successful writers for children have the utmost respect for their young readers.
    • One of the biggest benefits for any rookie is the opportunity to study some of the world's best players close up.
    • The alternative, he said, was to pay thousands of pounds premium for a property close to the best state schools.
    • There is no doubt in my mind that it continues to be one of the very best military forces in the world.
    • I saw it last week, and enjoyed it, but it's by no means even close to being the best film of 2002.
    • Only a few of the very best pedigree pigs can be kept for breeding.
    • We have the best political system in the world because it allows us to voice our criticisms without fear of reprisal.
    • If you want to get close to the best British female surfer, you must brave the waves.
    • She wants to buy her friend the very best present in the whole wide world.
    • He is a journalist and one of the very best cricket writers in the world today.
    • The spacious L-shaped living room to the rear is one of the property's best features.
    • It was only appropriate that the crucial touchdown should come from the best player on view yesterday.
    • In fact her son Lindsay was Rebecca's very best friend when they were small children.
    • We need to know our children are receiving the very best care from professional educationalists.
    • The team manager will want to pick the very best squad open to him.
    Synonyms
    finest, greatest, top, foremost, leading, pre-eminent, premier, prime, first, chief, principal, supreme, of the highest quality, superlative, unrivalled, second to none, without equal, nonpareil, unsurpassed, unsurpassable, peerless, matchless, unparalleled, unbeaten, unbeatable, unexcelled, optimum, optimal, ultimate, surpassing, incomparable, ideal, perfect
    highest, record-breaking
    British top of the range
    chiefly US top of the line
    French par excellence
    informal star, number-one, one-in-a-million, a cut above the rest, top-drawer
    rare unexampled
    1. 1.1 Most enjoyable.
      some of the best times of my life
      Example sentencesExamples
      • I had some straight from the oven - do try that if you make them, that was the very best part.
      • How is it one can feel guilty about doing the best job in the world enjoyably and well?
      • Twenty nine cars participated in what was regarded as the best and most enjoyable hunt ever.
      • Sometimes it's best to sit close to the fire, looking into the coals, and beyond them.
      • As anyone with half an ounce of gastro-chic will tell you, the very best time to eat at a restaurant is before it has opened.
      • So the best and most productive time, the most enjoyable time is from October to February.
      • I wondered how I would look back on my life once I reached Nicholas’s age, so I asked him, "What was the best time of your life?"
      • The party after the prizegiving was by common consent the best bash of the Fringe.
      • It's best in the spring when there are fewer people and it's not so brutally cold.
      • If you are only going out for one night my recommendation for the best night would have to be Friday night.
      • I'm having the best time of my life.
      • Almost everyone wanted to talk about their time at the university because it was the best time of their lives.
      • We will have to wait until after the election for the next saga in the best political soap opera in history.
      • He has devoted the best years of his life to preparing impromptu speeches.
      • The best joke will be included in the script of the comedian's one of the forthcoming movies.
      • It came close to being the best drive of my career and I felt happy with the Focus all the way through.
      • I am struggling to work out what was the best bit of a thoroughly enjoyable night.
      • Plumb for an early or late-season break to breathe in the very best of the island's delights.
    2. 1.2 Most appropriate, advantageous, or well advised.
      do whatever you think best
      it's best if we both go
      Example sentencesExamples
      • This is the best and most effective mode in which to run your Virus scanner if your computer is infected.
      • You are required to constantly assess the best course of action and think on your feet.
      • It goes without saying that the very best way to get at fish like this is with a boat.
      • We take you through the options, suggest the best solutions for your needs, and point out the pitfalls.
      • In the ancient world, gold was preferred as the best metal for making jewellery.
      • Even today you will find experts within the insurance world who will swear an endowment is the very best way to repay a homeloan.
      • Again, your local garden centre will be able to recommend the best brands for your needs.
      • Can you recommend the best website to create albums for others to view?
      • Earlier workshops focused on recommendations for the best ways to conduct tests.
      • I read a good article the other day that suggests one of the best ways to lose weight is sleeping.
      • The best advice is to pre-book a cab from a reputable firm.
      • They persuaded him it would be best if he told the truth.
      • Subjects covered included choosing a suitable pet and the best ways to handle and feed snakes and lizards.
      • The best course of action is to approach the bigger agencies for work experience.
      • Getting the whole picture gives us a much better vantage of making the very best decision possible.
      • While what he says may be true, admitting it publicly does not seem to be the best method of closing the psychological gap.
      • Research suggested the best strategy would be to take the vaccine in combination with conventional aids.
      • As the bird could not fly properly she thought it best to take him in and look after him.
      • Similarly, he can determine the best routes for delivery trucks to avoid heavy traffic.
      • When investing in shares, it is best to value every company on its own merit.
      Synonyms
      most advantageous, most suitable, most fitting, most appropriate, most apt
      most prudent, most sensible, most advisable, most desirable
adverb bɛstbɛst

  • 1To the highest degree; most (used with verbs suggesting a desirable action or state or a successful outcome)

    they named the pictures they liked best
    you knew him best
    well-drained soil suits this plant best
    Example sentencesExamples
    • What do you like best about your course?
    • Partial or dappled shade and soil enriched with plenty of leaf mould suits them best.
    • This is a historic and intimate account of life at the top of British politics by one of the men who knows it best.
    • Some of his best-known poems are about space travel.
    • Every woman should wear what she feels suits her best.
    Synonyms
    most, to the highest/greatest degree
    1. 1.1 To the highest standard.
      the best-dressed man in Britain
      the things we do best
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Even the best cooked pork can cause parasites in a dog.
      • It was the hardest fought and best played contest of the series.
      • She is back to doing what she does best - partying.
      • Keeping focussed on what we do best is vital to success in business as well as politics.
      • The idea that they were always the best behaved in the world is almost a joke.
      • The Pentagon should be the best-defended building in the world.
      • There will be a valuable prize for the best-dressed lady attending on the night.
      • In the space of less than an hour he gave us a lot of useful tips on how best to paint watercolours.
      • It is considered one of the best-constructed buildings of the period, because it has survived many earthquakes and hurricanes.
      • In every respect, and they rank among the best constructed lenses I have seen in medium format.
      • The new van has one of the best designed cabs, with a good level of standard equipment.
      • As I mentioned below, this was probably the best played LSU game I have ever seen.
      • What's the best-constructed altimeter watch?
      • I don't know which of Deb's suggestions will work best so I will use them all at once.
      • They will perform best if planted in moist, well drained soil.
      • You can often make a good guess at this by looking at the season in which the plant grows best.
      • Standard pub food is what it does best: Sunday roasts, chips, steak, sausages and mash.
      • At the end of the year, the school gave a prize to the student who best excelled at those essays.
      • There is also a great prize for the best and most suitably dressed lady at the Show.
      Synonyms
      to the highest standard, in the best way
    2. 1.2 Most appropriately or usefully.
      pruning is best done in spring
      jokes are best avoided in essays
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Part of the experiment will be to see at what age and at what time of year the plant is best harvested.
      • It's a very easy bulb to grow and is best planted in clumps or groups.
      • It's shaping up to be a very dull and repetitive show, best watched in fast forward.
      • They need well-drained acid soil and sun or partial shade and are best pruned in March.
      • Sundays, when even the swings in the children's playgrounds are padlocked, are best avoided.
      • It's also easy to understand why it's best avoided on Sundays in July and August.
      • Pot-grown evergreen shrubs are best planted before the end of this month.
      • Religion and politics are apparently the two topics best avoided when engaging in polite conversation.
      • Further research is needed to clarify when routine inquiry is appropriate and how best to implement it.
      • Any uncooked fruit or vegetable is best avoided and remember be careful of shellfish.
      • This illustrates a very important point about how to best judge the success of economic policy.
      • The flower stems tend to flop and I find it best grown through other plants or some twiggy sticks.
      • Isn't the value of a society best judged by the culture it produces and consumes?
      • Appealing to the lowest common denominator is best done through basic instincts.
      • But the term is best used properly, if it is to remain useful and not be voided of significance.
      • Those who have lived through the crisis are perhaps the best equipped to avoid a repeat of it.
      • The club may need money but the long term financial interest of the club will be best served by success on the pitch.
      • Getting people to do that is the sort of thing best done by politicians, not by researchers.
      • Pruning is best done in early spring so as not to affect flowering which occurs between May and July.
      • Knowledge is best gained through an intimate association with the matter at hand.
      Synonyms
      most sensibly, most prudently, most wisely, most suitably, most fittingly, most advantageously, most usefully
      better
      ought to, should
noun bɛstbɛst
the best

  • 1That which is the most excellent, outstanding, or desirable.

    buy the best you can afford
    Sarah always had to be the best at everything
    this film represents the best of mainstream popular cinema
    Example sentencesExamples
    • They are among the best at it and never seem to tire telling the rest of us how tough the times are on the land.
    • Now I'm useless, but it was a great buzz being the best at the thing you love most in the world.
    • If you're on top of your game and the best at what you do, the natural impulse is to let people know.
    • A wily player, who was one of the best at reading a game, he knew there and then that there was no way back.
    • He wished the best for the pupils and saw teaching as a team effort - home and school.
    • For years it seemed we were condemned to live in an age where an ability to beat time properly was the best we could hope for.
    • How enjoyable school is when you are one of the best at doing things.
    • There's no point trying to be the best at anything, because failure will be all the worse.
    • Is this the way we want to play our game, where the best are culled so the advantage will go to the other side?
    • They may or may not be the best at any given moment, but no team handles the ball better.
    • He wants to be the best at everything he does, whether it be football or pool or golf.
    • I'm really not the best at scintillating conversation on the tube in the morning.
    • On the net, you're constantly exposed to the best that is available in the digital medium.
    • The excellent wine menu offers the best from the new and old worlds at reasonable prices.
    • This means that we can arrange all the items in a list, with the best at the top and the worst at the bottom.
    • The bagpipe players will get a chance to learn from the best at a workshop tomorrow.
    • Why don't we just grow up and admit that England cannot always be the best at everything.
    • We may not be the best at marketing but we know how to do technology.
    • There's no one on the planet that will deny they were the best at what they did.
    • It has been a very tough event, but it is fantastic to be recognised for my performance against the best in the world.
    Synonyms
    finest, top, cream, choice, choicest, prime, elite, crème de la crème, flower, jewel in the crown, nonpareil
    informal the tops, the pick of the bunch
    1. 1.1 The finest aspect of a person or thing.
      he brought out the best in people
      Example sentencesExamples
      • He is a prime example of how adversity brings out the best in people.
      • We have had three people there but for varying reasons it hasn't brought out the best in them.
      • Genre films they no doubt were, but as was true with the illustrious star in America, they brought out the best in him.
      • Spain has brought out the best in him.
      • The enormity of the disaster seems, though, to have brought out the best in people.
      • They also brought out the best in communities who battled past the point of exhaustion against the rising waters.
      • It has brought out the best in people of all ages and cultures who have given time and money.
      • So let us use these six months to work out how we should go forward, together drawing on the best of each national experience.
      • He performed well last year, but the coach has brought out the best in him and he has had a couple of stormers in the last two games.
      • This here's what you'd call discreet charm, and that's what brings out the best in a guide.
      • They were fond of each other, and observers of his early work often say that she brought out the best in him.
      • He now enjoyed a sustained spell of supremacy which brought out the best in a determined York defence.
      • His infectious humour belied a steely resolve to get the job done and the mix of the two brought out the best in his players.
      • His curling shot to the far post, after a surging break by his opponent, brought out the best in him.
      • The war brought out the best in many people, as was demonstrated by many of the museum displays.
      • As well as natural talent, he also possesses useful political and diplomatic skills: he has a way of bringing people along with him and getting the best of out them.
      • He has brought out the best in a superb cast to maintain that delicate balance on stage.
      • He spent a lot of time with the contributors, and believes his honest approach helped get the best from them.
      • She was regarded among her pupils as a fair teacher who brought out the best in her young charges.
      • The worst of the weather brought out the best in all of them, horses, riders and audience.
      Synonyms
      most favourable/pleasant aspect, best point
      advantage, asset, virtue, good point
    2. 1.2one's best The highest standard or level that someone or something can reach.
      this is jazz at its best
      try to look your best
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The energy firm is doing its best to shake up the world of utility stocks.
      • You are expected to look your best at every moment, before, during and after the wedding.
      • She is about 10 years past her best.
      • I'm going into middle school soon and I want to look my best and not be teased so much!
      • This record aims to show him at his best.
      • At their best they combine free improvisation with an elastic approach to standards.
      • With the Christmas party season nearly here, the pressure is on for women to look their best.
      • She had a lifelong interest in fashion and style, and always liked to look her best.
      • Every bride likes to look her best - but this wedding gown was never going to hide any blushes.
      • With all the large cast giving their very best, this was an enjoyable and memorable show.
      • The poor old BBC, doing its best to provide a useful service to those ungrateful viewers!
      • At their best the acts should promote improved communication and management of records.
      • We will have to be at our best if we want to retain our title
      • It's getting harder as I get older, but I like to make sure they always look their best.
      • He was also a keen gardener and kept the station looking its best with plants and flowers.
      • She was very fashion conscious and always liked to look her best at all times.
      • You have to look your best on these occasions.
      • I was, after all, going to a memorial service and wanted to look my best.
      • So all you have to do is your best, or even just the level required for your work output, and you're set.
      • It's party time coming up so this is the ideal opportunity to learn how to look your best.
      Synonyms
      record-breaking, best ever, its best, one's best, optimum, unbeaten, unsurpassed, unparalleled, unequalled, superlative, second to none, never previously achieved
    3. 1.3one's best One's smartest or most formal clothes.
      she dressed in her best
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Mum was coming and she was all dressed up in her best.
      • On a wet and gloomy afternoon, 21 people gathered in the council chamber of the town hall, looking rather apprehensive and dressed in their best.
      • Soon Elizabeth was dressed in her best.
      • The day was bright and fair, the children sparkling in their new attire and the parents, sponsors and relations turned out in their best.
      • Sonia watched in amusement as he dressed in his best, getting ready for town.
      Synonyms
      best clothes, finery, Sunday best
      informal best bib and tucker, glad rags
    4. 1.4 (in sport) a record performance.
      a lifetime best of 12.0 seconds
      See also personal best
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Despite a lifetime best in the 1,500m, Lee finished out of the medals.
      • Molly won a bronze medal in the 200 meter backstroke, swimming a lifetime best of 2:16.42.
      • His time was a magnificent 2 minutes 5.7 seconds, well inside the previous best.
      • All-in-all there were 13 championship bests at Seville in 1999.
      • His time of 3: 49.59 was only six-tenths off his all-time best from 1996.
      • Canada's Perdita Felicien smashed her lifetime best with victory in 12.53 seconds to upset gold medal favourite Brigitte Foster.
      • In the under - 17 race, Lauren Blackie showed remarkable consistency to time 8.17 sec twice, a new best.
      • "I knew going into the meet that I'd have to swim career bests if I even wanted a chance at a medal," Bowen said.
      • Burnside retained the title, clocking a time of 7.50s with Dudgeon two metres down in 2nd place in 7.63s - bettering her own six-year-old best.
      • And his run was just three-hundredths of a second outside his lifetime best, set in the worlds in Seville two years ago.
      • The Holland international is currently on six and if he scores in United's next games against Southampton, Blackburn and Liverpool, he will set a new best.
      • His time of 67:52 knocked more than 2 minutes off his previous best.
      • At 29, he was coming to the end of his career, but he set a lifetime best in the final.
      • Sehwag's previous best was 195 scored against Australia at Melbourne in December last year.
    5. 1.5 Written at the end of a letter to wish a person well.
      See you soon, best, Michael
      Example sentencesExamples
      • My gut reaction was to write Sincerely, but then I re-read an email that was sent from the recruiter to me and she signed it Best.
      • If he signed it Best, she was doomed and they were doomed — and how did 'best' become one of the worst email closings ever? she wondered.
      • If he signed it "Best, LRH" then that meant he wasn't pleased with you and you were in trouble.
      • I hope you are back from the hospital and doing okay. Best, Andrea.
      • But I gotta go. Best, Bill
verb bɛstbɛst
[with object]informal

  • Outwit or get the better of (someone)

    she refused to allow herself to be bested
    Example sentencesExamples
    • He takes understandable pleasure in besting his brother on the polo field and on the ski slopes.
    • It is easy for anyone to grasp the concept of this game and manipulate the controls but to truly start besting some opponents, you will have to invest some time to learn the quirks.
    • Over the years, I have seen him tested thrice, and thrice has he been bested by this simple and inexpensive item.
    • She met their world on its own terms, often besting the boys at their games and always laughing when she landed on her butt.
    • If that was your best, you have no hope of besting me!
    • I asked myself, for example, did the victors in these matches demonstrate an ability to overcome an opponent in a ‘realistic’ situation by besting their rivals in the ring?
    • But the whole thing was such a cynical mix of half-truths, untruths and twisted logic that it ended up besting me.
    • But consistently besting the President will be tougher.
    • He did not know if she was capable of besting him.
    • In opposition, he took the scalps of many ministers and in government he was rarely bested.
    • The delight he takes in besting his father at ping pong suggests that even he has not been immune to the old man's poison.
    • But they keep coming back because the only way to earn a reputation is by besting him.
    • One of the most effective ways of besting an opponent in an argument is to show that the very argument he makes leads to a conclusion he is anxious to deny.
    • But she can only give herself to a man who bests her in hand-to-hand combat.
    • This rests on the bizarre idea that he was bested by his old sparring partner.
    • She bests the boys in fights, follows trails with a woodsman's craft, and lives off the charitable contributions of miners.
    • And it's not a bad idea to put in somebody who, at least in the campaign, has bested him often.
    • There were times when even he had trouble besting her in duels.
    • If a heckler should best a politician, the moment could be screened over and over again on TV.
    • Neither group forms a monolithic bloc, of course, but women are besting men in registering and voting.
    Synonyms
    defeat, beat, get the better of, gain the advantage over, get the upper hand over, outdo, outwit, outsmart, worst, be more than a match for, prevail over, conquer, vanquish, trounce, triumph over
    surpass, outclass, outshine, put someone in the shade, overshadow, eclipse
    informal lick, get one over on
    US informal own

Phrases

  • all the best

    • Said or written to wish a person well on ending a letter or parting.

      Example sentencesExamples
      • So there are some people in my life embarking on new love and I wish them all the best, I am glad to hear they are happy.
      • We would like to take this opportunity to wish them both all the best with their new venture.
      • We wish him all the best - the man is simply a genius and this is undoubtedly a highlight of the whole month.
      • I'm still behind my decision but I wish them all the best and they deserve all the credit they get.
      • I want to wish him all the best and to encourage him to keep up the good work because there are two more to go.
      • We wish the Courages all the best and thank them for standing in at short notice.
      • Their many friends wish them all the best of good fortune for many years to come.
      • You won't see me writing on Monday so You will have to wish me all the best from now.
      • The staff and committee would like to wish her all the best for the future in her new position.
      • But he did, and we did a little catch up and I wished him all the best in his career.
      • They are wished all the best by their many friends around the Kiltimagh and Knock areas.
      • Vince has a lot to offer, and I wish him all the best as he makes his mark on the national sporting scene.
      • I want to wish her all the best in her week ahead, a week that will surely prove to be a trip of a lifetime.
      • Museum staff said they wanted to wish the team all the best for next season and so invited them along to see the Harrier.
      • Here's wishing you all the best over this difficult period, and hoping you will be back to full steam in no time!
      • We also wish them all the best while away and hope that they return back home safe and sound again in autumn.
      • Well done to both players on a great achievement and we wish them all the best in the All Ireland final.
      • I wish him all the best with the movie, which I know is popular, and which I still haven't seen.
      • The pupils and teachers are wished all the best as the new school year recommences.
      • We wish him all the best for the future years and may his great success continue.

  • as best one can (or may)

    • As effectively as possible under the circumstances.

      I went about my job as best I could
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Certainly depressive illness can strip out the major components of the self and leave to you put yourself back together as best you can after that fact, but that is not the same as the absence of reciprocity I am thinking of here.
      • I see what you're trying to do, Ms. T, you're simply advocating for your child as best you can.
      • Criticising a faulty epistemology won't completely let you off the hook of stating your moral and political preferences, justifying them as best you can, and then acting on them.
      • You are asked to support this collection as best you can because it is worth remembering that one or two of the retired priests to receive assistance from the proceeds are priests who have served in this parish during past years.
      • ‘You live with it as best you can,’ he said.
      • And I'm not going to try and deal with all of them, but I'd say for example, one of them's honesty, however painful that might be, you've got to be honest in your dealings with people as best you can.
      • She said, ‘It becomes a matter of trying to fit the words as best you can.’
      • Because around here, good moods are like the most delicate flowers in the world and when the hurricanes come, you want to shelter them as best you can lest they be ripped to shreds before your eyes.
      • Of course, you ignore these sounds as best you can, but they never disappear completely unless you leave the city and its noises behind and journey to places where human beings have yet to kill nature.
      • He added: ‘It's not easy but you can't let something like this ruin your life - you have to get on with things as best you can and I am trying to put it behind me.’
      • You just - you don't deal with it, you just go on as best you can.
      • Also, you just want to do the job as best you can, and if you think you're doing the job well, that gives you satisfaction.
      • It worked on a points system so it was not necessarily a case of trying to win every event, but do as best you can in each.
      • You are here, existing and making the best of it, and getting through life as best you can.
      • I hope you're listening at 12 years old and I hope you'll sit down and tell your stepfather what you're feeling and what you need as best you can.
      • You try to tell the story as best you can, covering the church the way you would City Hall or the White House.
      • I guess you just each day get up and do what has to be done, and whatever the circumstances are, as things change you just cope as best you can.
      • And I've been through a few hurricanes myself and I know that once you're in one, you know, you've just got to take your chances as best you can.
      • I mean, it's something that you definitely think about, but, you know, you just have to - you know, you try to get checked as much as you can, and try to take care of yourself as best you can.
      • You protect them as best you can, with your life if need be, from all the dangers that the world carries, but in the end there is always the fear of that sudden swoop of loss and grief, the loss of a child.

  • at best

    • Taking the most optimistic view.

      what signs there are of recovery are patchy at best
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Pretty much everyone looked at them as fascist scum at worst and pompous throwbacks at best.
      • Britain's role in this affair has been at best ambiguous and at worst shameful.
      • It says allergies are increasingly common and can be at best inconvenient but at worst fatal.
      • People who left the church were seen at best as misguided and not spiritual enough.
      • At best it suggests there is a case for a proper study of such issues, perhaps a Panorama style investigation.
      • All serious analysts of crime deride this as at best ignorant and at worst dishonest.
      • The problem with this is that the effect of the war in this respect would be marginal, at best.
      • If you're a journalist for any period of time you get used to them and find them at best tedious and at worst laughable.
      • I thought about it for a while, tried to remember the events of the evening, it was patchy at best.
      • He said the problem was at best causing an obstruction and at worst could cause a serious accident.
      • Some even say they are the heart of the problem and that their delivery is, at best, patchy.
      • So far those attempts have been at worst disastrous and at best meaningless.
      • An assessment that has since been revealed as naive at best and base deception at worst.
      • He made a strategic error and was at best guilty of political naivety, at worst of incompetence.
      • It's a fun idea but the disparity between tracks results in a patchy experience at best.
      • The first views her at best as a mad, talentless manipulator and at worst as a murderer.
      • Yet the support of the people of York is at best equivocal and at worst non-existent.
      • It was extraordinarily modest and at best misleading as to the First Lady's world view.
      • There are areas of conventional science which are at best misguided and at worst fraudulent.
      • This is arrogance at best, but worst of all, you're hurting a poor old man's feelings.
      Synonyms
      only, merely, simply, but, nothing but, no more than

  • at the best of times

    • Even in the most favourable circumstances.

      his memory is poor at the best of times
      Example sentencesExamples
      • In truth, I'm not a great one for beauty contests at the best of times.
      • Incidentally, the casualty ward is a grim place at the best of times.
      • This would be an unwelcoming place to live in at the best of times.
      • But get onto the lesser ring roads and the traffic movement is atrocious at the best of times.
      • A car stuffed with drug money crashing outside your record store is a bummer at the best of times, not least opening day.
      • His job - not easy at the best of times - is to try to persuade the member states to act together, wisely and well.
      • Writers are monsters at the best of times, but writers who can't write, what do they become?
      • One should bear in mind that universities have never been a place for the purely money-motivated at the best of times.
      • It is famously difficult to get into Crannog at the best of times.
      • A gloomy - looking man at the best of times, he looked like a miserable, cornered beast.
      • Not only that, but her voice - a bit raspy at the best of times - sounds downright ragged and weary here.
      • After that happens, a case would have to be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court which takes several years at the best of times.
      • It was a difficult tune to sing at the best of times, and Billy had probably not sung it for years.
      • Shopping can be an exhausting and uncomfortable experience at the best of times, but Christmas shopping?
      • How do you decide what is right for another person, when you do not know at the best of times what is right for yourself?
      • But my concern is that they are doing it on the M4, which can be pretty hairy at the best of times.
      • Joe is somber enough at the best of times, so if a little unpolished, he's not too offensive to watch.
      • Our house was hardly an impregnable fortress at the best of times, and it was easy enough to get in if you'd forgotten your keys.
      • Being a bus driver has to be a stressful job at the best of times.
      • See, I'm impatient at the best of times, and P frequently accuses me of wanting everything at once.

  • best of breed

    • 1The animal in a show judged to be the best representative of its breed.

      Example sentencesExamples
      • "He is only a puppy so I hope he can win best of breed in the next few years."
      • Tender loving care has saved the show career of Luna who won ' best of breed ' for the third year running at Crufts.
      • Just two years later she surprised everyone by winning one of the top honours in the show best of breed.
      • Meanwhile, Joe's career as a dog trainer had really taken off when our dog Max won best of breed at the Westminster Dog Show in New York.
      • The Neapolitan Mastiff that won best of breed at Crufts in 1994 was later discovered to have had plastic surgery.
      • That rabbit won best of breed that day.
      • The documentary claimed dogs suffering from genetic illness were not prevented from competing in dog shows and had gone on to win best in breed despite their poor health.
      • Arthur took best of breed today.
      • He is hotly tipped to be named as best in breed in the north of England by the end of the summer season next month.
      • Dog breeders Gary and Gill Gray were celebrating after their German Shepherd Lottie won best of breed.
      1. 1.1Any item or product considered to be the best of its kind.
        their technology is still considered best of breed and demand for their products is still growing
        Example sentencesExamples
        • However, which one of those players will claim the accolade of best of breed still hangs in the balance.
        • It will also have to persuade firms of the merits of best of breed rather than all-in-one solutions.
        • He is untouchable, Scotland's supreme champion, best of breed.
        • Pitman believes the alternative for small banks is to take a best of breed approach, as the major banking players turn their attention to furthering their brand identities.
        • It's third-quarter 5.89 % total return also ranks it among the best of breed.
        • Avdl may make it easier to manage and deploy best in breed products.
        • As the best of breed tools are often open source, it is easy and cheap to experiment with pilot projects.
        • This approach is often called best of breed.
        • And now here we are, the best in breed, trying to stay sexy and not looking at what is most meaningful and logical.
        • Baltimore's technology has usually been touted as "best of breed" but rather expensive.

  • the best-laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley

    • proverb Even the most careful planning doesn't necessarily ensure success.

      in the tradition of all best-laid plans, subsequent events overturned the scheme
      Example sentencesExamples
      • There are philosophies and religions that deny that, but it seems to me that it is clear that the best-laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley, and not just because you slipped up in your litany of positive thoughts.

  • be the best of friends

    • Be very close friends.

      she's really nice and we're the best of friends
      Example sentencesExamples
      • We are now the best of friends - because friends can do anything together!
      • The story revolves around two New England couples who are the best of friends.
      • They were the best of friends and shared the same advisers but they were individuals and each handled his situation differently.
      • This trip brought all three of us so close together that even today, 20 years later, we are still the best of friends.
      • But 31 years later, the two are the best of friends and have been labelled the dream team by patients and staff.
      • The rest of the time we are the best of friends, sharing many common interests in Africa, human rights issues, and humour.
      • Two teenage girls are the best of friends but are destined to go their separate ways until a tidal wave deposits a mermaid in a beach club swimming pool.
      • Last week we had been friends, not the best of friends, but friends nonetheless.
      • David shakes her hand and she puts her other hand on top of his like they're the best of friends and smiles and nods a lot.
      • Neighbours are not always the best of friends when it comes to football: just ask any Celtic or Rangers fan.
      • We are now the best of friends however, as I am magnanimous in defeat.
      • The three were the best of friends at York and will no doubt enjoy sharing some liquid refreshment after tomorrow's showdown.
      • Although they were nearly always pitted as adversaries on screen, beyond the studio they were the best of friends.
      • The three of us had become very close to each other and became the best of friends.
      • Of course, the food and drink can be a lot of fun, especially when you're surrounded by the best of friends and family.
      • A good book is the best of friends, the same today and forever.
      • Yet the trio, who were awarded their gold medals at the Agios Kosmas sailing venue last night, remain the best of friends.
      • Sometimes we squabble, but most of the time we're the best of friends.
      • Those 3 kids are playing in this same park like they are the best of friends.
      • Now, after an emotional reunion and a huge stroke of luck, the three firm friends talk to each other every day and their wives have become the best of friends.

  • the best of three (or five etc.)

    • Victory achieved by winning the majority of a specified odd number of games.

      Example sentencesExamples
      • Athletes must compete in a minimum of three races and rankings will be based on the best of three finishes for each athlete
      • Games can end in a draw when both reach the same point total, and usually Briscola is played to the best of three or five games.
      • A badminton match is decided by the best of three games.
      • Each game is the best of three sets with each set being played to 15 aces.
      • It is usual to play the best of three games, but it is possible to play a just a single game to 30 points.
      • The Thunderbirds will play host to the best of three game tilt.
      • The Clan lost the opening game of the best of three set 70-58.
      • All 12 teams make the play-offs with the bottom eight competing in the best of three preliminary round.
      • Meanwhile, the other series, as expected, is a barnburner as St Adolphe leads La Broquerie two games to one in the best of five affair.
      • Normally the best of three games is played, so the overall winners are the first team to win two games.
      • Matches will continue to be the best of five games.
      • This is said to combine the best of three distinctly different areas, all a delight to divers.
      • League games will continue to be played up to 21 points over the best of three games for this season, it was decided at York and District Table Tennis Association's annual meeting.
      • Teams will be two-a-side and played up to 11 points a game over the best of three sets.
      • But everybody had to do three time trials and it was the best of three.
      • Matches must be the best of five games to qualify as a pyramid match.
      • The decision goes to the one who gets the best of three.
      • Then we shortened the idea to the best of five with the ladder match being the rubber match.
      • It will be the best of five games and there will be six dartboards in operation.
      • Unusually, there was just one round rather than the best of three.

  • the best part of

    • Most of.

      the tedious ceremony took the best part of a day
      Example sentencesExamples
      • I decided in my early twenties that I intended to spend the best part of forty years travelling to work.
      • His injuries were so severe he was laid off work for the best part of two years.
      • Because that degree of evil doesn't fade even with the best part of twenty years grace.
      • With the first of them opening in early January, they will have been flowering for the best part of two months.
      • You know, the air has been lambent with rumour for the best part of nearly a year now.
      • Being rushed off my feet for the best part of 12 hours made daylight playtime impossible.
      • For the best part of 150 years, progressive opinion has seen the Civil War as a just war.
      • Total mileage, probably the best part of 1000 miles plus all the interim travelling.
      • At one end of this area, a massive building project has been underway for the best part of 20 years.
      • They've been married the best part of thirty years and are pretty well travelled.
      • For the best part of two years, politics in Britain has been dominated by the Middle East.
      • This is the town I was loathe to call home for the best part of two decades.
      • That would be the best part of 30 years ago when I was in the scouts and that was still far too recent for me.
      • No murder weapons were ever found, but they each spent the best part of 20 years in prison.
      • This is a civilisation we have been fighting against and with for the best part of 700 years.
      • I've been trying to say this to you for the best part of 10 years but never quite found the words.
      • She had been in flight for the best part of 45 minutes, and records were being set.
      • We have a peace process that has moved on for the best part of eight years now.
      • We're quite a large group, and we've known each other for the best part of 18 years now.
      • We nab a corner of the dancefloor and don't leave it for the best part of two hours.

  • best wishes

    • An expression of hope for someone's future happiness or welfare, often written at the end of a letter.

      best wishes, Celia
      we sent our best wishes for a speedy recovery
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The entire FAS team and the community send her best wishes for her future happiness.
      • Very best wishes for the future from all their families and friends.
      • Congratulations and best wishes for future happiness to all concerned.
      • In sending her best wishes for her birthday we also wish her good news in her results.
      • Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and very best wishes for the New Year.
      • Their many friends have extended to them warm best wishes for many more years of health, happiness and joy.
      • Congratulations to all involved in the marathon and our best wishes for yet another successful season.
      • Many who could not attend sent their best wishes for a successful day.
      • I find the news and the features so interesting and well written so keep up the good work and best wishes for the next ten years.
      • The entire community sends Birdie best wishes for her continued recovery.
      • The whole community extend to this jovial and Christian man very best wishes for a long and fulfilled retirement.
      • Congratulations to the newly weds and very best wishes for the future.
      • So from all your family and friends, happy birthday and best wishes for the future.
      • But leaving aside esoteric question of etiquette all best wishes for future happiness!
      • Tommy, best wishes for your special day, and we wish you lots more birthdays.
      • They deserve our best wishes for the future, especially since many of them are now unemployed.
      • Congratulations to all involved and best wishes for the next twenty!
      • Presenting the awards Mary wished the club best wishes for a successful future.
      • Please pass on my thanks to everyone for their support and compliments and their best wishes for my future.
      • We wish all our parishioners a very Merry Chirstmas and best wishes for the New Year.
      Synonyms
      best wishes, regards, kind regards, kindest regards, greetings, compliments, compliments of the season, felicitations, respects

  • one's best years

    • The most vigorous and productive period of one's life; one's prime.

      my best years are ahead of me
      Example sentencesExamples
      • In the meantime the Chancellor, it is now clear, has had his best years.
      • And most of those players have their best years ahead of them.
      • For me, those were my best years, both as a footballer and in my life.
      • The lean singer says, though he was born in Punjab, Hyderabad was home to him because he spent his best years here.
      • But they won only two Grand Slam events in their best years.
      • He holds down the left-back slot at Monaco and has his best years in front of him.
      • Some of those players are still trying to play the game at that level, and perhaps they've had their best years.
      • It is only this year that she will have a memorial in her honour erected in the suburb where she spent her best years and whose main street is named after her husband.
      • Nor players who have been playing continually well year in, year out but are now in the sunset of their careers, but players who are proven quality and still have their best years in front of them.
      • He always said his best years in football were between the ages of 27 and 33, because that is when he learned his trade.
      • Progress would dry up as creative minds wasted their best years in uncreative apprenticeships, under the sour scrutiny of their elders.
      • Tall, strong and mobile, he matches the photofit of the target striker he has long craved and, aged 25, his best years should be ahead of him.
      • They work their best years with fierce determination - professional, savvy and keeping their beautifully made-up eyes on the bottom line and the final exit.
      • Also, all of the players had their best years from about the ages 23-26, with little variation.
      • The children lost their best years for obtaining a good education and for developing other skills and also had a difficult time when, eventually, they had to retire from their sport.
      • Nonetheless, despite their differences - in career terms, in appearance, and in age - both could yet have their best years ahead of them.
      • As the teacher's hot words mounted, she convinced herself that she was sacrificing her best years, for these ‘undeserving brats.’
      • With her best years behind her, she can hardly reasonably expect to be kept in the manner to which she has become accustomed.
      • But in your best years, no matter what you do, if there is an incident, the conclusion will be that you didn't do enough.
      • After the war his best years should have been behind him, but he was as quick as ever, and in 1950 he rejoined Alfa and won the world championship.

  • do (or try) one's best

    • Do all one can.

      Ruth did her best to reassure her
      Example sentencesExamples
      • ‘We submit the prosecution witnesses were essentially trying their best to tell you the truth of what they recall happened that night,’ he said.
      • Alex was watching, so the United players were all trying their best and we got hammered.
      • But now I realize everybody's trying their best.
      • I have always been a great believer in trying your best to get into good positions in sport.
      • They are taking steps to live in harmony with Nature, using no more than they really need, trying their best not to infringe on the rights of others in their quest for survival.
      • People have faced up to the issues and are trying their best to bring communities together.
      • People are trying their best to make the town look attractive but rubbish really spoils it.
      • Although her parents have been trying their best to get her to settle down and get married, she has managed to avoid it so far, claiming that she enjoys being single and independent.
      • You also drive under pressure all day trying your best to keep your bus on time.
      • And it makes for a really good story - a composite portrait of four bizarre characters tangled up together by circumstances and trying their best to get through them in one piece.
      • In general, behind every happy and successful child, there is a hard-working, conscientious adult trying their best to pull off the difficult trick of parenthood.
      • ‘I'm reasonably happy with the performance because the 15 were trying their best and you can't ask any more of them,’ he said.
      • The thinking goes, ‘My parents are trying their best, so I shouldn't complain.’
      • We know we are in for a fight so everyone's pulling together and trying their best.
      • All the previous presidents insisted upon trying their best to bring about some sort of accommodation between Israel and its nation neighbors.
      • You're trying your best to create, in front of the camera, some approximation of the real world.
      • Democrats control neither Congress nor the White House, but they are trying their best to control the judicial nominating process.
      • You are there on the stage and everyone is looking closely at you, trying their best to find out how you are doing the trick.
      • The man in the grey jacket slinks out of the bar and into a dark alley but the students are busy studying cakes in shop windows, rifling through papers at a news kiosk and trying their best to look natural.
      • Mrs Jones said: ‘The police have been fantastic and I know they are trying their best.’
      Synonyms
      do one's utmost, try one's hardest, try as hard as one can, make every effort, spare no effort, do all one can, give one's all, be at pains

  • be for (or all for) the best

    • Be desirable in the end, although not at first seeming so.

      what was done was done, and maybe it was for the best
      Example sentencesExamples
      • I'm not surprised how things ended for one character in particular; this person has been going downhill for awhile, so the end they had was for the best in that sense.
      • She didn't know the answers to her questions, but maybe that was for the best.
      • I know I've been the one pushing this football thing, but maybe it would be for the best if you quit.
      • Though her departure from the estate was a bittersweet one, she knew it was for the best, for although she did not know entirely where she belonged, she knew it wasn't there.
      • I thought maybe that was for the best because that way if I made a fool of myself and fell off or something, at least Ben and the other guys would not see it.
      • So, no picture of Mom and maybe it's all for the best, huh?
      • Maybe it would be for the best if I set out some facts.
      • He has brought nothing but death, destruction and fear, maybe a change is for the best.
      • But if this was causing her problems already maybe it would be for the best…
      • Maybe it was for the best though, she thought, she had to deal with her own problems, they'd catch up to her anyway.
      • Uncle Bill put a lot of work into a failed effort, but maybe it was for the best.
      • 10 years ago my parents divorced, and it was for the best.
      • Still - reading what I've just written, maybe it was for the best.
      • I think maybe it would be for the best if we just forgot I ever wrote this post.
      • Maybe it was for the best that they went their separate ways then, instead of dragging it out and getting more hurt.
      • I explained it was for the best, said I was sorry and asked for forgiveness. 2 days later I woke to find no peace of mind, no nirvana, just a failed suicide and the continual nightmare.
      • Maybe it is for the best if you stay away from the rallies, Weller.
      • Maybe it was for the best that Deimos expressed no interest in her.
      • Maybe that was for the best, considering Kelsey knows and she thinks we're crazy.
      • I knew that he could tell that I wasn't happy about the decision, but maybe it was for the best.

  • get the best of

    • Overcome (someone)

      his drinking got the best of him and he was fired
      Example sentencesExamples
      • My head was light, I felt extremely weak and the joint pains got the best of me.
      • If that sweet tooth is still getting the best of you, try sweet treats that contain low saturated fats and low-calorie sweeteners.
      • Maybe it was my own hunger pangs getting the best of me.
      • In the earlier semi-final, Sheffield Steelers got the best of a scrappy game.
      • Were China's entrenched conservative interests getting the best of him?
      • Your quest has continued so long that, unfortunately, you now run the risk of your impatience getting the best of you.
      • My curiosity got the best of me and I inquired as to how she knew this, let alone even knew who I was looking at.
      • In the end, Gray's vanity gets the best of him in a most brutal manner - beauty, after all, can't last forever.
      • Bomber's great fault is his enthusiasm sometimes gets the best of him.
      • At least it's warm in the rug, so I won't have to spend as much on my heating bill… My Finnish frugality always gets the best of me.
      • Anger and paranoia, no doubt vital fuels for his groundbreaking work, got the best of him in the end.
      • Brown's selfishness eventually gets the best of him, and Greene closes the novel with a plot twist that introduces more questions than it answers.
      • Ted's bout with delusions is getting the best of him, I suppose.
      • One can only hope that his ego gets the best of his common sense this off-season, compelling him to exercise his free agent rights and sign with another team.
      • When my mate, Annie, suggested that, instead of a Sunday walk on the beach, we go to this gym for a swim, my curiosity got the best of me.
      • However, we never really got the best of the old building.
      • I honestly believe that the president got the best of him by simply doing the opposite of whatever he recommended.
      • One year, a long time ago, when the consuming nature of the shopping beast was getting the best of me, I decided to switch sides and took a job as a holiday Santa Claus at a ghost mall on the south side of Milwaukee.
      • Because of that you felt that you were part of a movement, your ego got the best of you.
      • However, on the afternoon of their 10th anniversary, curiosity got the best of her and she lifted the lid and peeked inside.

  • give someone/something best

    • dated Admit the superiority of someone or something.

      he finally decided to give us best and took himself off
      Example sentencesExamples
      • But after a time I gave him best (left him) because he used to want to bite my ear too often.
      • Unsurprisingly, when Taiwan invoked an arbitration clause, the Swiss courts gave them best.
      • Let's not, then, shrug and give the bombers best.
      • Indeed many of the regulars gave it best and didn't even attempt to take it on, thus leaving a very limited field.

  • had best do something

    • Find it most sensible or well advised to do the thing mentioned.

      I'd best be going
      Example sentencesExamples
      • If the duo have any plans at all of going outside, they had best do it early.
      • If you want the corner curvature to be right you had best do it yourself.
      • Anyone who wants to raise this as a problem had best do it behind his back, because if he's around to respond, he will respond brilliantly.
      • If we are going to do something, we had best do it quick, before they get completely out of our range.
      • If we do truly seal our border we had best do it with a true open door for those to walk through legally.
      • So, a company that puts itself up for sale, with the intent of staying intact after the sale, had best do something about that.
      • The two had agreed that to prevent any leakage, the then Law Minister had best do it himself, involving no official, not even a stenographer.
      • And he thinks ‘twill be very wet weather; So my friends and good fellows, You had best get home dry altogether. “
      • So, attention Democrats: If you want to do something dramatic with your new majority, you had best do it now.
      • Only you can force sustained revenue and earnings growth at your agency and you had best do it now.
      • You had best be careful, there is a lot at stake here
      • Yet now, nearly six weeks after Moses disappeared into the smoke and fire, they had decided that he had vanished off the face of the earth, and therefore they had best do something.
      • My older son said, "Dad, it's still us three against the world, and the world had best watch out."
      • I really believe if you want to be successful today in this arena, you had best do it all.
      • If we do not want them guiding it over a cliff, we had best do something to pry them from the grip of leftists.
      • Having become totally addicted to waterfall hiking we realized we had best do it safely and respectfully.
      • He arises again and calls in his friends and servants and tells them that if they have any business that requires his attention they had best do it now.
      • Apple had best hurry up with that video.
      • My impression is that they realize that there's a crisis here, and they had best do something about it.
      • Then when you don't pay them on Friday and you say we will get a check to you by Monday you had best do it.

  • make the best of

    • 1Derive what limited advantage one can from (something unsatisfactory)

      you'll just have to make the best of the situation
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Although crippled in many ways, it has found new means of program delivery and has made the best of what was possible on its radically reduced budget.
      • Dr Bass manages to combine humility with humanity and while he never exactly makes me feel good about having cancer, I feel that together we can make the best of a bad deal.
      • Adie, of course, is a bit of a trooper, experienced in making the best of difficult situations.
      • They're examples of how that stoic, struggle on and make the best of a bad deal and tough times attitude can work against you sometimes.
      • The production makes the best of the limited space of the top floor of Bewley's.
      • I have made mistakes but what is important is making the best of the resources available to me.
      • To his supporters, Washington was making the best of limited opportunities for African Americans in the South.
      • As a result they don't capture the learning potential of successful health initiatives developed in countries long honed to making the best of meagre resources.
      • The complete tour of a Tokyo apartment - compact and bijou, but clean, light and equipped with modern equipment to make the best of the limited space.
      • Frustrated travelers made the best of a bad day
      • He frequently makes the best of limited opportunities, and was again seen to advantage aboard Forest Leader in the moderate Rathkeale Handicap Hurdle.
      • There is probably no way that this can be done adequately, and researchers have had to make the best of the limited access that has been granted them.
      • As tacky as most modern decorations are it's amazing what a little tinsel and a few lights can do to enhance the feeling - especially when genuine effort has gone into making the best of meagre resources.
      • In the early stages the smooth boxing Hare easily countered the onrushing Cherchari who was not making the best of his height and reach advantages.
      • You can complain, or you can make the best of it.
      • Nnetheless, even though we cannot make what we think we want to come true, we can make the best of the possibilities that we have.
      • The prevailing ethos on No Disco seemed a bit more thoughtful, a bit more arty, making the best of an obviously limited budget.
      • We have to make the best of the resources we have, especially with a double-header ahead of us in the World Cup qualifying campaign.
      • Project finance made the best of a tough year, finding ways to fund unglamorous Latin American fertilizer and oil projects despite the plunging price of crude and sovereign downgrades.
      • Charlotte, who is making the best of life coping with M.E. and maintains a pleasant outgoing nature, says she would love to do the things her friends can do, such as canoeing and other sports, going out and going to school.
      • The host country and the coach, in particular, made the best of the limited talent at its disposal and beat Italy by a golden goal.
      • It was a difficult speech to give, but I think she made the best of a bad job.
      • The inside barrier is a real advantage in a two-year-old race and Kenneth made the best of it leading with Indecent Exposure and Crown Pilot on its outside.
      Synonyms
      make the best of, get by on, get by with, put to the best use, make the most of
      1. 1.1Use (resources) as well as possible.
        he tried to make the best of his talents
        Example sentencesExamples
        • He has proved himself at Leicester and Celtic, in each case making the best of his resources.
        • It's just a question of Papua New Guinea making the best of the resources that are available to it.
        • Its really easy to be frustrated… but isn't life all about making the best of what you have?
        • Let us make the best of this virtue by living it, by making colour, caste, language and similar distinctions irrelevant among us.
        • Given those common-sense measures, it should be possible for most of us to make the best of Britain's rare sunny days and stay safe.
        • This is about making the best of what you have got,’ he said.
        • We have to make the best of our maritime resources in all aspects.
        • In addition to using skills such as maths and English, the youngsters would learn how to see opportunities and make the best of their resources.
        • Rochdale Council street lighting team leader Dave Ralphs said workmen had to make the best of all the working days before the lights are switched on.
        • We have to make the best of whatever cards we have been given.
        • With the recent spell of reasonably fine, dry weather everyone is making the best of it.
        • We all look forward to a future that will see generations of Rotherham children making the best of all their abilities.
        • We have here the where-with-all to make the best of all possible amenities.
        • However, Tchaikovsky showed it was possible to make the best of both worlds.
        • There is a determination to do well, to make the best of the resources available to him, but what is the key to getting back on the winning track?
        • Silage cutting is at full force as well as baled hay and farmers are making the best of the better weather to save the crops with less hassle than 2002.
        • The emphasis is making the best of what we already have.
        • He has been phenomenal at making the best of what he has got.
        • He encouraged them in every way possible to make the best of their respective strengths.
        • Sailors in Scotland's Capital Ship have made the best of unusually good weather to take a brief but dramatic tour of remote South Georgia.

  • make the best of a bad job

    • Do something as well as one can under difficult circumstances.

      Example sentencesExamples
      • The truth is that when we turned up at our training camp, and discovered there was no kit, we should have laughed it off, done some PE, shared a pint together and knuckled down to the task of making the best of a bad job.
      • Determined to make the best of a bad job, he decided to re-investigate the possibility of passing his lorry driver's test and follow family tradition.
      • These situations are never good ones to be in, but if we can derive some sort of benefit from it then we can make the best of a bad job.
      • Heritage Property Services tried to make the best of a bad job but, despite the offer of developing a similar site in Pewsey, it bowed out.
      • It is recognised that one of the parties in a domestic dispute might want his or her day in court, but this can be expensive and destructive, so if a mediator can reach an agreement it can make the best of a bad job.
      Synonyms
      scrape along, scrape by, get along, get by, manage, cope, survive, muddle along, muddle through, fare all right, make the best of a bad job, improvise, make ends meet, keep the wolf from the door, keep one's head above water, shift for oneself

  • six of the best

    • humorous, historical A caning as a punishment, traditionally with six strokes of the cane.

      one prefect would hold you down and the other would give you six of the best
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Well, I didn't enquire too closely, but as far as I could make out it was literal corporal punishment, doled out for failing to perform one's ‘duties’ - six of the best for not doing the laundry, that sort of thing.
      • I got six of the best with twelve inches of finest wood - Mr George's dreaded ruler across the back of the legs before being torn off a strip about vandalising school property.
      • And she was sorry, she said, she had to give us the strap, six of the best.
      • He had received six of the best for ‘persistently flouting school rules’.
      • As a Bunyip who still remembers the pained humiliation of being forced to thank his headmaster for six of the best, the Professor has some idea how hard all those decades of penitent grovelling must have been on German pride.

  • with the best of them

    • As well or as much as anyone.

      he'll be out there dancing with the best of them
      Example sentencesExamples
      • But where they are in power, they privatise with the best of them.
      • She proved she could rap with the best of them, but her singing voice leaves quite a bit to be desired.
      • Here again the society is fortunate to have a great line-up with any of the ensemble capable of mixing it with the best of them.
      • She still had her Irish brogue and could dance with the best of them.
      • It's coupled with a male lead singer who croons with the best of them.
      • The calibre of this years Oscar nominations is top-notch and Chicago is up there with the best of them.
      • The lucky threesome were whisked off to the home of Derby County - Pride Park - where they were wined and dined with the best of them.
      • After Round Five, that gives her 28 from a possible 40, right up there with the best of them.
      • Scotland's new forward coach gets the ball away with the best of them but, when he is unable to do so, seldom fails to protect possession jealously.
      • We like to think that we're up there with the best of them, and we get grumpy and defensive when visitors suggest otherwise.
      • When it comes to small countries, the Eaglemeister can stomp with the best of them.
      • Now I slur my words and mangle the language with the best of them, though people close to me do still tease me for my tendency towards pomposity.
      • She knows her French philosophers and can pontificate on Sartrian self-determinism with the best of them.
      • Not much of a dribbler; could travel and carry the ball with the best of them.
      • Our companies can compete with the best of them, if the playing field is level.
      • He's the player who makes it work at the sharp end, a finisher who can hold the ball up, nick the odd penalty, and bully a centre-half with the best of them.
      • Once upon a time, say the authors, most Scots knew most of the dances and could take a turn with the best of them, but that is not always the case today.
      • They know they can compete with the best of them, but their greatest opponent still appears to be the demons in their head.
      • I've never been a big meat eater, although until a few weeks ago I was happily enjoying KFC with the best of them.
      • We can park with the best of them - we've all had enough practice.

Origin

Old English betest (adjective), betost, betst (adverb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German best, also to better1.

Rhymes

abreast, arrest, attest, beau geste, behest, bequest, blessed, blest, breast, Brest, Bucharest, Budapest, celeste, chest, contest, crest, digest, divest, guest, hest, infest, ingest, jest, lest, Midwest, molest, nest, northwest, pest, prestressed, protest, quest, rest, self-addressed, self-confessed, self-possessed, southwest, suggest, test, Trieste, unaddressed, unexpressed, unimpressed, unpressed, unstressed, vest, west, wrest, zest
adj.1
phr.
 
 

Definition of best in US English:

best

adjectivebestbɛst

  • 1Of the most excellent, effective, or desirable type or quality.

    the best pitcher in the league
    how to obtain the best results from your machine
    her best black suit
    Example sentencesExamples
    • One of the biggest benefits for any rookie is the opportunity to study some of the world's best players close up.
    • Only a few of the very best pedigree pigs can be kept for breeding.
    • The only way to survive this section of the evening is for the host to break open the very best wine in his cellar.
    • The spacious L-shaped living room to the rear is one of the property's best features.
    • This shows, for example, that the best plants can be up to six times more productive than the worst.
    • Profitable routes get the best buses because that is where the money is made.
    • The alternative, he said, was to pay thousands of pounds premium for a property close to the best state schools.
    • The injury to the world's best fast bowler has cast the Ashes battle in a completely new light.
    • In fact her son Lindsay was Rebecca's very best friend when they were small children.
    • The team manager will want to pick the very best squad open to him.
    • There is no doubt in my mind that it continues to be one of the very best military forces in the world.
    • We need to know our children are receiving the very best care from professional educationalists.
    • The best and most successful writers for children have the utmost respect for their young readers.
    • We have the best political system in the world because it allows us to voice our criticisms without fear of reprisal.
    • It was only appropriate that the crucial touchdown should come from the best player on view yesterday.
    • If you want to get close to the best British female surfer, you must brave the waves.
    • I saw it last week, and enjoyed it, but it's by no means even close to being the best film of 2002.
    • It's pretty much the best political satire that is going on on US TV at the moment.
    • She wants to buy her friend the very best present in the whole wide world.
    • He is a journalist and one of the very best cricket writers in the world today.
    Synonyms
    finest, greatest, top, foremost, leading, pre-eminent, premier, prime, first, chief, principal, supreme, of the highest quality, superlative, unrivalled, second to none, without equal, nonpareil, unsurpassed, unsurpassable, peerless, matchless, unparalleled, unbeaten, unbeatable, unexcelled, optimum, optimal, ultimate, surpassing, incomparable, ideal, perfect
    1. 1.1 Most enjoyable.
      some of the best times of my life
      Example sentencesExamples
      • It came close to being the best drive of my career and I felt happy with the Focus all the way through.
      • How is it one can feel guilty about doing the best job in the world enjoyably and well?
      • I wondered how I would look back on my life once I reached Nicholas’s age, so I asked him, "What was the best time of your life?"
      • It's best in the spring when there are fewer people and it's not so brutally cold.
      • I had some straight from the oven - do try that if you make them, that was the very best part.
      • He has devoted the best years of his life to preparing impromptu speeches.
      • I'm having the best time of my life.
      • So the best and most productive time, the most enjoyable time is from October to February.
      • The best joke will be included in the script of the comedian's one of the forthcoming movies.
      • As anyone with half an ounce of gastro-chic will tell you, the very best time to eat at a restaurant is before it has opened.
      • If you are only going out for one night my recommendation for the best night would have to be Friday night.
      • Almost everyone wanted to talk about their time at the university because it was the best time of their lives.
      • The party after the prizegiving was by common consent the best bash of the Fringe.
      • Plumb for an early or late-season break to breathe in the very best of the island's delights.
      • Twenty nine cars participated in what was regarded as the best and most enjoyable hunt ever.
      • Sometimes it's best to sit close to the fire, looking into the coals, and beyond them.
      • I am struggling to work out what was the best bit of a thoroughly enjoyable night.
      • We will have to wait until after the election for the next saga in the best political soap opera in history.
    2. 1.2 Most appropriate, advantageous, or well advised.
      do whatever you think best
      it's best if we both go
      Example sentencesExamples
      • When investing in shares, it is best to value every company on its own merit.
      • Earlier workshops focused on recommendations for the best ways to conduct tests.
      • While what he says may be true, admitting it publicly does not seem to be the best method of closing the psychological gap.
      • They persuaded him it would be best if he told the truth.
      • You are required to constantly assess the best course of action and think on your feet.
      • In the ancient world, gold was preferred as the best metal for making jewellery.
      • Similarly, he can determine the best routes for delivery trucks to avoid heavy traffic.
      • I read a good article the other day that suggests one of the best ways to lose weight is sleeping.
      • As the bird could not fly properly she thought it best to take him in and look after him.
      • Even today you will find experts within the insurance world who will swear an endowment is the very best way to repay a homeloan.
      • Subjects covered included choosing a suitable pet and the best ways to handle and feed snakes and lizards.
      • The best advice is to pre-book a cab from a reputable firm.
      • This is the best and most effective mode in which to run your Virus scanner if your computer is infected.
      • We take you through the options, suggest the best solutions for your needs, and point out the pitfalls.
      • Again, your local garden centre will be able to recommend the best brands for your needs.
      • Can you recommend the best website to create albums for others to view?
      • Research suggested the best strategy would be to take the vaccine in combination with conventional aids.
      • It goes without saying that the very best way to get at fish like this is with a boat.
      • Getting the whole picture gives us a much better vantage of making the very best decision possible.
      • The best course of action is to approach the bigger agencies for work experience.
      Synonyms
      most advantageous, most suitable, most fitting, most appropriate, most apt
adverbbestbɛst

  • 1To the highest degree; most.

    you knew him best
    well-drained soil suits it best
    the one we liked best
    Example sentencesExamples
    • What do you like best about your course?
    • Every woman should wear what she feels suits her best.
    • Some of his best-known poems are about space travel.
    • This is a historic and intimate account of life at the top of British politics by one of the men who knows it best.
    • Partial or dappled shade and soil enriched with plenty of leaf mould suits them best.
    Synonyms
    most, to the greatest degree, to the highest degree
    1. 1.1 Most excellently or effectively.
      the best-dressed man in Hollywood
      the things we do best
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The idea that they were always the best behaved in the world is almost a joke.
      • You can often make a good guess at this by looking at the season in which the plant grows best.
      • In every respect, and they rank among the best constructed lenses I have seen in medium format.
      • The Pentagon should be the best-defended building in the world.
      • There is also a great prize for the best and most suitably dressed lady at the Show.
      • As I mentioned below, this was probably the best played LSU game I have ever seen.
      • In the space of less than an hour he gave us a lot of useful tips on how best to paint watercolours.
      • Even the best cooked pork can cause parasites in a dog.
      • There will be a valuable prize for the best-dressed lady attending on the night.
      • They will perform best if planted in moist, well drained soil.
      • The new van has one of the best designed cabs, with a good level of standard equipment.
      • Keeping focussed on what we do best is vital to success in business as well as politics.
      • It is considered one of the best-constructed buildings of the period, because it has survived many earthquakes and hurricanes.
      • I don't know which of Deb's suggestions will work best so I will use them all at once.
      • She is back to doing what she does best - partying.
      • What's the best-constructed altimeter watch?
      • At the end of the year, the school gave a prize to the student who best excelled at those essays.
      • It was the hardest fought and best played contest of the series.
      • Standard pub food is what it does best: Sunday roasts, chips, steak, sausages and mash.
      Synonyms
      to the highest standard, in the best way
    2. 1.2 Most suitably, appropriately, or usefully.
      jokes are best avoided in essays
      this is best done at home
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The club may need money but the long term financial interest of the club will be best served by success on the pitch.
      • Pot-grown evergreen shrubs are best planted before the end of this month.
      • Religion and politics are apparently the two topics best avoided when engaging in polite conversation.
      • Appealing to the lowest common denominator is best done through basic instincts.
      • Getting people to do that is the sort of thing best done by politicians, not by researchers.
      • They need well-drained acid soil and sun or partial shade and are best pruned in March.
      • Those who have lived through the crisis are perhaps the best equipped to avoid a repeat of it.
      • It's shaping up to be a very dull and repetitive show, best watched in fast forward.
      • It's a very easy bulb to grow and is best planted in clumps or groups.
      • Isn't the value of a society best judged by the culture it produces and consumes?
      • The flower stems tend to flop and I find it best grown through other plants or some twiggy sticks.
      • Any uncooked fruit or vegetable is best avoided and remember be careful of shellfish.
      • Knowledge is best gained through an intimate association with the matter at hand.
      • Further research is needed to clarify when routine inquiry is appropriate and how best to implement it.
      • Part of the experiment will be to see at what age and at what time of year the plant is best harvested.
      • Pruning is best done in early spring so as not to affect flowering which occurs between May and July.
      • This illustrates a very important point about how to best judge the success of economic policy.
      • Sundays, when even the swings in the children's playgrounds are padlocked, are best avoided.
      • It's also easy to understand why it's best avoided on Sundays in July and August.
      • But the term is best used properly, if it is to remain useful and not be voided of significance.
      Synonyms
      most sensibly, most prudently, most wisely, most suitably, most fittingly, most advantageously, most usefully
      ought to, should
nounbestbɛst
usually the best

  • 1That which is the most excellent, outstanding, or desirable.

    buy the best you can afford
    Sarah always had to be the best at everything
    this year’s event will cover the best of both domestic and international manufacturing practices
    Example sentencesExamples
    • He wished the best for the pupils and saw teaching as a team effort - home and school.
    • They are among the best at it and never seem to tire telling the rest of us how tough the times are on the land.
    • Is this the way we want to play our game, where the best are culled so the advantage will go to the other side?
    • For years it seemed we were condemned to live in an age where an ability to beat time properly was the best we could hope for.
    • There's no point trying to be the best at anything, because failure will be all the worse.
    • I'm really not the best at scintillating conversation on the tube in the morning.
    • Why don't we just grow up and admit that England cannot always be the best at everything.
    • This means that we can arrange all the items in a list, with the best at the top and the worst at the bottom.
    • He wants to be the best at everything he does, whether it be football or pool or golf.
    • They may or may not be the best at any given moment, but no team handles the ball better.
    • The excellent wine menu offers the best from the new and old worlds at reasonable prices.
    • A wily player, who was one of the best at reading a game, he knew there and then that there was no way back.
    • How enjoyable school is when you are one of the best at doing things.
    • The bagpipe players will get a chance to learn from the best at a workshop tomorrow.
    • It has been a very tough event, but it is fantastic to be recognised for my performance against the best in the world.
    • Now I'm useless, but it was a great buzz being the best at the thing you love most in the world.
    • On the net, you're constantly exposed to the best that is available in the digital medium.
    • If you're on top of your game and the best at what you do, the natural impulse is to let people know.
    • We may not be the best at marketing but we know how to do technology.
    • There's no one on the planet that will deny they were the best at what they did.
    Synonyms
    finest, top, cream, choice, choicest, prime, elite, crème de la crème, flower, jewel in the crown, nonpareil
    1. 1.1 The most meritorious aspect of a thing or person.
      he brought out the best in people
      Example sentencesExamples
      • His curling shot to the far post, after a surging break by his opponent, brought out the best in him.
      • He performed well last year, but the coach has brought out the best in him and he has had a couple of stormers in the last two games.
      • He is a prime example of how adversity brings out the best in people.
      • She was regarded among her pupils as a fair teacher who brought out the best in her young charges.
      • His infectious humour belied a steely resolve to get the job done and the mix of the two brought out the best in his players.
      • They also brought out the best in communities who battled past the point of exhaustion against the rising waters.
      • He has brought out the best in a superb cast to maintain that delicate balance on stage.
      • Spain has brought out the best in him.
      • It has brought out the best in people of all ages and cultures who have given time and money.
      • The enormity of the disaster seems, though, to have brought out the best in people.
      • He spent a lot of time with the contributors, and believes his honest approach helped get the best from them.
      • As well as natural talent, he also possesses useful political and diplomatic skills: he has a way of bringing people along with him and getting the best of out them.
      • This here's what you'd call discreet charm, and that's what brings out the best in a guide.
      • The war brought out the best in many people, as was demonstrated by many of the museum displays.
      • So let us use these six months to work out how we should go forward, together drawing on the best of each national experience.
      • He now enjoyed a sustained spell of supremacy which brought out the best in a determined York defence.
      • They were fond of each other, and observers of his early work often say that she brought out the best in him.
      • Genre films they no doubt were, but as was true with the illustrious star in America, they brought out the best in him.
      • We have had three people there but for varying reasons it hasn't brought out the best in them.
      • The worst of the weather brought out the best in all of them, horses, riders and audience.
      Synonyms
      most favourable aspect, most pleasant aspect, best point
    2. 1.2one's best The peak of condition; the highest standard or level that a person or thing can reach.
      this is jazz at its best
      try to look your best
      Example sentencesExamples
      • She was very fashion conscious and always liked to look her best at all times.
      • You have to look your best on these occasions.
      • The energy firm is doing its best to shake up the world of utility stocks.
      • It's getting harder as I get older, but I like to make sure they always look their best.
      • With the Christmas party season nearly here, the pressure is on for women to look their best.
      • I was, after all, going to a memorial service and wanted to look my best.
      • This record aims to show him at his best.
      • He was also a keen gardener and kept the station looking its best with plants and flowers.
      • So all you have to do is your best, or even just the level required for your work output, and you're set.
      • I'm going into middle school soon and I want to look my best and not be teased so much!
      • Every bride likes to look her best - but this wedding gown was never going to hide any blushes.
      • At their best the acts should promote improved communication and management of records.
      • At their best they combine free improvisation with an elastic approach to standards.
      • We will have to be at our best if we want to retain our title
      • You are expected to look your best at every moment, before, during and after the wedding.
      • The poor old BBC, doing its best to provide a useful service to those ungrateful viewers!
      • It's party time coming up so this is the ideal opportunity to learn how to look your best.
      • With all the large cast giving their very best, this was an enjoyable and memorable show.
      • She had a lifelong interest in fashion and style, and always liked to look her best.
      • She is about 10 years past her best.
      Synonyms
      record-breaking, best ever, its best, one's best, optimum, unbeaten, unsurpassed, unparalleled, unequalled, superlative, second to none, never previously achieved
    3. 1.3one's best One's finest or most formal clothes.
      she dressed in her best
      Example sentencesExamples
      • On a wet and gloomy afternoon, 21 people gathered in the council chamber of the town hall, looking rather apprehensive and dressed in their best.
      • Mum was coming and she was all dressed up in her best.
      • Soon Elizabeth was dressed in her best.
      • Sonia watched in amusement as he dressed in his best, getting ready for town.
      • The day was bright and fair, the children sparkling in their new attire and the parents, sponsors and relations turned out in their best.
      Synonyms
      best clothes, finery, sunday best
    4. 1.4 (in sports) a record performance.
      a lifetime best of 12.0 seconds
      See also personal best
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Burnside retained the title, clocking a time of 7.50s with Dudgeon two metres down in 2nd place in 7.63s - bettering her own six-year-old best.
      • Canada's Perdita Felicien smashed her lifetime best with victory in 12.53 seconds to upset gold medal favourite Brigitte Foster.
      • Sehwag's previous best was 195 scored against Australia at Melbourne in December last year.
      • His time of 3: 49.59 was only six-tenths off his all-time best from 1996.
      • "I knew going into the meet that I'd have to swim career bests if I even wanted a chance at a medal," Bowen said.
      • And his run was just three-hundredths of a second outside his lifetime best, set in the worlds in Seville two years ago.
      • In the under - 17 race, Lauren Blackie showed remarkable consistency to time 8.17 sec twice, a new best.
      • At 29, he was coming to the end of his career, but he set a lifetime best in the final.
      • The Holland international is currently on six and if he scores in United's next games against Southampton, Blackburn and Liverpool, he will set a new best.
      • Molly won a bronze medal in the 200 meter backstroke, swimming a lifetime best of 2:16.42.
      • Despite a lifetime best in the 1,500m, Lee finished out of the medals.
      • His time of 67:52 knocked more than 2 minutes off his previous best.
      • His time was a magnificent 2 minutes 5.7 seconds, well inside the previous best.
      • All-in-all there were 13 championship bests at Seville in 1999.
verbbestbɛst
[with object]informal

  • Outwit or get the better of (someone)

    she refused to allow herself to be bested
    Example sentencesExamples
    • The delight he takes in besting his father at ping pong suggests that even he has not been immune to the old man's poison.
    • There were times when even he had trouble besting her in duels.
    • She bests the boys in fights, follows trails with a woodsman's craft, and lives off the charitable contributions of miners.
    • But she can only give herself to a man who bests her in hand-to-hand combat.
    • Neither group forms a monolithic bloc, of course, but women are besting men in registering and voting.
    • Over the years, I have seen him tested thrice, and thrice has he been bested by this simple and inexpensive item.
    • It is easy for anyone to grasp the concept of this game and manipulate the controls but to truly start besting some opponents, you will have to invest some time to learn the quirks.
    • But consistently besting the President will be tougher.
    • She met their world on its own terms, often besting the boys at their games and always laughing when she landed on her butt.
    • If a heckler should best a politician, the moment could be screened over and over again on TV.
    • He takes understandable pleasure in besting his brother on the polo field and on the ski slopes.
    • But the whole thing was such a cynical mix of half-truths, untruths and twisted logic that it ended up besting me.
    • If that was your best, you have no hope of besting me!
    • This rests on the bizarre idea that he was bested by his old sparring partner.
    • In opposition, he took the scalps of many ministers and in government he was rarely bested.
    • And it's not a bad idea to put in somebody who, at least in the campaign, has bested him often.
    • But they keep coming back because the only way to earn a reputation is by besting him.
    • One of the most effective ways of besting an opponent in an argument is to show that the very argument he makes leads to a conclusion he is anxious to deny.
    • I asked myself, for example, did the victors in these matches demonstrate an ability to overcome an opponent in a ‘realistic’ situation by besting their rivals in the ring?
    • He did not know if she was capable of besting him.
    Synonyms
    defeat, beat, get the better of, gain the advantage over, get the upper hand over, outdo, outwit, outsmart, worst, be more than a match for, prevail over, conquer, vanquish, trounce, triumph over

Usage

On the punctuation of best in compound adjectives, see well

Phrases

  • all the best

    • Said or written to wish a person well on ending a letter or parting.

      Example sentencesExamples
      • The pupils and teachers are wished all the best as the new school year recommences.
      • We wish the Courages all the best and thank them for standing in at short notice.
      • The staff and committee would like to wish her all the best for the future in her new position.
      • We wish him all the best - the man is simply a genius and this is undoubtedly a highlight of the whole month.
      • Well done to both players on a great achievement and we wish them all the best in the All Ireland final.
      • Their many friends wish them all the best of good fortune for many years to come.
      • They are wished all the best by their many friends around the Kiltimagh and Knock areas.
      • Vince has a lot to offer, and I wish him all the best as he makes his mark on the national sporting scene.
      • I want to wish him all the best and to encourage him to keep up the good work because there are two more to go.
      • You won't see me writing on Monday so You will have to wish me all the best from now.
      • I want to wish her all the best in her week ahead, a week that will surely prove to be a trip of a lifetime.
      • I wish him all the best with the movie, which I know is popular, and which I still haven't seen.
      • We wish him all the best for the future years and may his great success continue.
      • We also wish them all the best while away and hope that they return back home safe and sound again in autumn.
      • But he did, and we did a little catch up and I wished him all the best in his career.
      • I'm still behind my decision but I wish them all the best and they deserve all the credit they get.
      • Museum staff said they wanted to wish the team all the best for next season and so invited them along to see the Harrier.
      • Here's wishing you all the best over this difficult period, and hoping you will be back to full steam in no time!
      • We would like to take this opportunity to wish them both all the best with their new venture.
      • So there are some people in my life embarking on new love and I wish them all the best, I am glad to hear they are happy.

  • as best one can (or may)

    • As effectively as possible under the circumstances.

      I went about my job as best I could
      Example sentencesExamples
      • And I'm not going to try and deal with all of them, but I'd say for example, one of them's honesty, however painful that might be, you've got to be honest in your dealings with people as best you can.
      • I mean, it's something that you definitely think about, but, you know, you just have to - you know, you try to get checked as much as you can, and try to take care of yourself as best you can.
      • You are asked to support this collection as best you can because it is worth remembering that one or two of the retired priests to receive assistance from the proceeds are priests who have served in this parish during past years.
      • Also, you just want to do the job as best you can, and if you think you're doing the job well, that gives you satisfaction.
      • I see what you're trying to do, Ms. T, you're simply advocating for your child as best you can.
      • You are here, existing and making the best of it, and getting through life as best you can.
      • And I've been through a few hurricanes myself and I know that once you're in one, you know, you've just got to take your chances as best you can.
      • She said, ‘It becomes a matter of trying to fit the words as best you can.’
      • You try to tell the story as best you can, covering the church the way you would City Hall or the White House.
      • ‘You live with it as best you can,’ he said.
      • He added: ‘It's not easy but you can't let something like this ruin your life - you have to get on with things as best you can and I am trying to put it behind me.’
      • You just - you don't deal with it, you just go on as best you can.
      • It worked on a points system so it was not necessarily a case of trying to win every event, but do as best you can in each.
      • I hope you're listening at 12 years old and I hope you'll sit down and tell your stepfather what you're feeling and what you need as best you can.
      • Criticising a faulty epistemology won't completely let you off the hook of stating your moral and political preferences, justifying them as best you can, and then acting on them.
      • Certainly depressive illness can strip out the major components of the self and leave to you put yourself back together as best you can after that fact, but that is not the same as the absence of reciprocity I am thinking of here.
      • Because around here, good moods are like the most delicate flowers in the world and when the hurricanes come, you want to shelter them as best you can lest they be ripped to shreds before your eyes.
      • You protect them as best you can, with your life if need be, from all the dangers that the world carries, but in the end there is always the fear of that sudden swoop of loss and grief, the loss of a child.
      • I guess you just each day get up and do what has to be done, and whatever the circumstances are, as things change you just cope as best you can.
      • Of course, you ignore these sounds as best you can, but they never disappear completely unless you leave the city and its noises behind and journey to places where human beings have yet to kill nature.

  • at best

    • Taking the most optimistic or favorable view.

      signs of recovery are patchy at best
      Example sentencesExamples
      • People who left the church were seen at best as misguided and not spiritual enough.
      • So far those attempts have been at worst disastrous and at best meaningless.
      • It's a fun idea but the disparity between tracks results in a patchy experience at best.
      • Pretty much everyone looked at them as fascist scum at worst and pompous throwbacks at best.
      • If you're a journalist for any period of time you get used to them and find them at best tedious and at worst laughable.
      • It says allergies are increasingly common and can be at best inconvenient but at worst fatal.
      • The problem with this is that the effect of the war in this respect would be marginal, at best.
      • The first views her at best as a mad, talentless manipulator and at worst as a murderer.
      • Some even say they are the heart of the problem and that their delivery is, at best, patchy.
      • At best it suggests there is a case for a proper study of such issues, perhaps a Panorama style investigation.
      • Britain's role in this affair has been at best ambiguous and at worst shameful.
      • This is arrogance at best, but worst of all, you're hurting a poor old man's feelings.
      • He made a strategic error and was at best guilty of political naivety, at worst of incompetence.
      • Yet the support of the people of York is at best equivocal and at worst non-existent.
      • There are areas of conventional science which are at best misguided and at worst fraudulent.
      • He said the problem was at best causing an obstruction and at worst could cause a serious accident.
      • All serious analysts of crime deride this as at best ignorant and at worst dishonest.
      • I thought about it for a while, tried to remember the events of the evening, it was patchy at best.
      • An assessment that has since been revealed as naive at best and base deception at worst.
      • It was extraordinarily modest and at best misleading as to the First Lady's world view.
      Synonyms
      only, merely, simply, but, nothing but, no more than

  • at the best of times

    • Even in the most favorable circumstances.

      his memory is poor at the best of times
      Example sentencesExamples
      • But my concern is that they are doing it on the M4, which can be pretty hairy at the best of times.
      • His job - not easy at the best of times - is to try to persuade the member states to act together, wisely and well.
      • This would be an unwelcoming place to live in at the best of times.
      • A gloomy - looking man at the best of times, he looked like a miserable, cornered beast.
      • How do you decide what is right for another person, when you do not know at the best of times what is right for yourself?
      • Being a bus driver has to be a stressful job at the best of times.
      • After that happens, a case would have to be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court which takes several years at the best of times.
      • Writers are monsters at the best of times, but writers who can't write, what do they become?
      • But get onto the lesser ring roads and the traffic movement is atrocious at the best of times.
      • It is famously difficult to get into Crannog at the best of times.
      • In truth, I'm not a great one for beauty contests at the best of times.
      • A car stuffed with drug money crashing outside your record store is a bummer at the best of times, not least opening day.
      • Shopping can be an exhausting and uncomfortable experience at the best of times, but Christmas shopping?
      • See, I'm impatient at the best of times, and P frequently accuses me of wanting everything at once.
      • Joe is somber enough at the best of times, so if a little unpolished, he's not too offensive to watch.
      • Incidentally, the casualty ward is a grim place at the best of times.
      • It was a difficult tune to sing at the best of times, and Billy had probably not sung it for years.
      • Our house was hardly an impregnable fortress at the best of times, and it was easy enough to get in if you'd forgotten your keys.
      • One should bear in mind that universities have never been a place for the purely money-motivated at the best of times.
      • Not only that, but her voice - a bit raspy at the best of times - sounds downright ragged and weary here.

  • best of breed

    • 1The animal in a show judged to be the best representative of its breed.

      Example sentencesExamples
      • "He is only a puppy so I hope he can win best of breed in the next few years."
      • He is hotly tipped to be named as best in breed in the north of England by the end of the summer season next month.
      • Tender loving care has saved the show career of Luna who won ' best of breed ' for the third year running at Crufts.
      • Dog breeders Gary and Gill Gray were celebrating after their German Shepherd Lottie won best of breed.
      • The documentary claimed dogs suffering from genetic illness were not prevented from competing in dog shows and had gone on to win best in breed despite their poor health.
      • Just two years later she surprised everyone by winning one of the top honours in the show best of breed.
      • Meanwhile, Joe's career as a dog trainer had really taken off when our dog Max won best of breed at the Westminster Dog Show in New York.
      • Arthur took best of breed today.
      • That rabbit won best of breed that day.
      • The Neapolitan Mastiff that won best of breed at Crufts in 1994 was later discovered to have had plastic surgery.
      1. 1.1Any item or product considered to be the best of its kind.
        their technology is still considered best of breed and demand for their products is still growing
        Example sentencesExamples
        • Baltimore's technology has usually been touted as "best of breed" but rather expensive.
        • However, which one of those players will claim the accolade of best of breed still hangs in the balance.
        • It's third-quarter 5.89 % total return also ranks it among the best of breed.
        • This approach is often called best of breed.
        • It will also have to persuade firms of the merits of best of breed rather than all-in-one solutions.
        • Pitman believes the alternative for small banks is to take a best of breed approach, as the major banking players turn their attention to furthering their brand identities.
        • Avdl may make it easier to manage and deploy best in breed products.
        • He is untouchable, Scotland's supreme champion, best of breed.
        • And now here we are, the best in breed, trying to stay sexy and not looking at what is most meaningful and logical.
        • As the best of breed tools are often open source, it is easy and cheap to experiment with pilot projects.

  • the best of friends

    • Very good friends.

      Example sentencesExamples
      • Two teenage girls are the best of friends but are destined to go their separate ways until a tidal wave deposits a mermaid in a beach club swimming pool.
      • Neighbours are not always the best of friends when it comes to football: just ask any Celtic or Rangers fan.
      • Of course, the food and drink can be a lot of fun, especially when you're surrounded by the best of friends and family.
      • This trip brought all three of us so close together that even today, 20 years later, we are still the best of friends.
      • A good book is the best of friends, the same today and forever.
      • David shakes her hand and she puts her other hand on top of his like they're the best of friends and smiles and nods a lot.
      • The rest of the time we are the best of friends, sharing many common interests in Africa, human rights issues, and humour.
      • The three were the best of friends at York and will no doubt enjoy sharing some liquid refreshment after tomorrow's showdown.
      • Although they were nearly always pitted as adversaries on screen, beyond the studio they were the best of friends.
      • They were the best of friends and shared the same advisers but they were individuals and each handled his situation differently.
      • Sometimes we squabble, but most of the time we're the best of friends.
      • But 31 years later, the two are the best of friends and have been labelled the dream team by patients and staff.
      • We are now the best of friends - because friends can do anything together!
      • The three of us had become very close to each other and became the best of friends.
      • Now, after an emotional reunion and a huge stroke of luck, the three firm friends talk to each other every day and their wives have become the best of friends.
      • Those 3 kids are playing in this same park like they are the best of friends.
      • We are now the best of friends however, as I am magnanimous in defeat.
      • Yet the trio, who were awarded their gold medals at the Agios Kosmas sailing venue last night, remain the best of friends.
      • Last week we had been friends, not the best of friends, but friends nonetheless.
      • The story revolves around two New England couples who are the best of friends.

  • the best of three (or five etc.)

    • Victory achieved by winning the majority of a specified odd number of games.

      Example sentencesExamples
      • It will be the best of five games and there will be six dartboards in operation.
      • Then we shortened the idea to the best of five with the ladder match being the rubber match.
      • The Thunderbirds will play host to the best of three game tilt.
      • Normally the best of three games is played, so the overall winners are the first team to win two games.
      • Games can end in a draw when both reach the same point total, and usually Briscola is played to the best of three or five games.
      • Each game is the best of three sets with each set being played to 15 aces.
      • Matches will continue to be the best of five games.
      • All 12 teams make the play-offs with the bottom eight competing in the best of three preliminary round.
      • The decision goes to the one who gets the best of three.
      • This is said to combine the best of three distinctly different areas, all a delight to divers.
      • Meanwhile, the other series, as expected, is a barnburner as St Adolphe leads La Broquerie two games to one in the best of five affair.
      • A badminton match is decided by the best of three games.
      • The Clan lost the opening game of the best of three set 70-58.
      • Matches must be the best of five games to qualify as a pyramid match.
      • Teams will be two-a-side and played up to 11 points a game over the best of three sets.
      • But everybody had to do three time trials and it was the best of three.
      • Unusually, there was just one round rather than the best of three.
      • Athletes must compete in a minimum of three races and rankings will be based on the best of three finishes for each athlete
      • It is usual to play the best of three games, but it is possible to play a just a single game to 30 points.
      • League games will continue to be played up to 21 points over the best of three games for this season, it was decided at York and District Table Tennis Association's annual meeting.

  • the best part of

    • Most of.

      it took them the best part of 10 years
      Example sentencesExamples
      • She had been in flight for the best part of 45 minutes, and records were being set.
      • We're quite a large group, and we've known each other for the best part of 18 years now.
      • At one end of this area, a massive building project has been underway for the best part of 20 years.
      • That would be the best part of 30 years ago when I was in the scouts and that was still far too recent for me.
      • I've been trying to say this to you for the best part of 10 years but never quite found the words.
      • No murder weapons were ever found, but they each spent the best part of 20 years in prison.
      • Total mileage, probably the best part of 1000 miles plus all the interim travelling.
      • Because that degree of evil doesn't fade even with the best part of twenty years grace.
      • Being rushed off my feet for the best part of 12 hours made daylight playtime impossible.
      • For the best part of 150 years, progressive opinion has seen the Civil War as a just war.
      • I decided in my early twenties that I intended to spend the best part of forty years travelling to work.
      • This is a civilisation we have been fighting against and with for the best part of 700 years.
      • You know, the air has been lambent with rumour for the best part of nearly a year now.
      • We have a peace process that has moved on for the best part of eight years now.
      • They've been married the best part of thirty years and are pretty well travelled.
      • For the best part of two years, politics in Britain has been dominated by the Middle East.
      • His injuries were so severe he was laid off work for the best part of two years.
      • We nab a corner of the dancefloor and don't leave it for the best part of two hours.
      • This is the town I was loathe to call home for the best part of two decades.
      • With the first of them opening in early January, they will have been flowering for the best part of two months.

  • best wishes

    • 1An expression of hope for someone's future happiness or welfare.

      we sent our best wishes for a speedy recovery
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The whole community extend to this jovial and Christian man very best wishes for a long and fulfilled retirement.
      • Congratulations to all involved and best wishes for the next twenty!
      • They deserve our best wishes for the future, especially since many of them are now unemployed.
      • Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and very best wishes for the New Year.
      • But leaving aside esoteric question of etiquette all best wishes for future happiness!
      • Congratulations to all involved in the marathon and our best wishes for yet another successful season.
      • We wish all our parishioners a very Merry Chirstmas and best wishes for the New Year.
      • Their many friends have extended to them warm best wishes for many more years of health, happiness and joy.
      • So from all your family and friends, happy birthday and best wishes for the future.
      • Please pass on my thanks to everyone for their support and compliments and their best wishes for my future.
      • In sending her best wishes for her birthday we also wish her good news in her results.
      • The entire community sends Birdie best wishes for her continued recovery.
      • Tommy, best wishes for your special day, and we wish you lots more birthdays.
      • I find the news and the features so interesting and well written so keep up the good work and best wishes for the next ten years.
      • The entire FAS team and the community send her best wishes for her future happiness.
      • Congratulations and best wishes for future happiness to all concerned.
      • Very best wishes for the future from all their families and friends.
      • Congratulations to the newly weds and very best wishes for the future.
      • Many who could not attend sent their best wishes for a successful day.
      • Presenting the awards Mary wished the club best wishes for a successful future.
      Synonyms
      best wishes, regards, kind regards, kindest regards, greetings, compliments, compliments of the season, felicitations, respects
      1. 1.1Written at the end of a letter.
        Best wishes, Celia
        Example sentencesExamples
        • Keep up in your studies, and try not to let this affect you. Best wishes to you, Darren.
        • I look forward to hearing from you. Best wishes, George.
        • You can suffer agonies of rejection when you sign off with ‘Love’, only to receive ‘Best wishes’ in return.

  • one's best years

    • The most vigorous and productive period of one's life; one's prime.

      he had spent the best years of his life working at the stables
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The children lost their best years for obtaining a good education and for developing other skills and also had a difficult time when, eventually, they had to retire from their sport.
      • But they won only two Grand Slam events in their best years.
      • In the meantime the Chancellor, it is now clear, has had his best years.
      • And most of those players have their best years ahead of them.
      • Tall, strong and mobile, he matches the photofit of the target striker he has long craved and, aged 25, his best years should be ahead of him.
      • Some of those players are still trying to play the game at that level, and perhaps they've had their best years.
      • After the war his best years should have been behind him, but he was as quick as ever, and in 1950 he rejoined Alfa and won the world championship.
      • Nonetheless, despite their differences - in career terms, in appearance, and in age - both could yet have their best years ahead of them.
      • Nor players who have been playing continually well year in, year out but are now in the sunset of their careers, but players who are proven quality and still have their best years in front of them.
      • As the teacher's hot words mounted, she convinced herself that she was sacrificing her best years, for these ‘undeserving brats.’
      • With her best years behind her, she can hardly reasonably expect to be kept in the manner to which she has become accustomed.
      • They work their best years with fierce determination - professional, savvy and keeping their beautifully made-up eyes on the bottom line and the final exit.
      • He always said his best years in football were between the ages of 27 and 33, because that is when he learned his trade.
      • The lean singer says, though he was born in Punjab, Hyderabad was home to him because he spent his best years here.
      • Progress would dry up as creative minds wasted their best years in uncreative apprenticeships, under the sour scrutiny of their elders.
      • He holds down the left-back slot at Monaco and has his best years in front of him.
      • It is only this year that she will have a memorial in her honour erected in the suburb where she spent her best years and whose main street is named after her husband.
      • For me, those were my best years, both as a footballer and in my life.
      • Also, all of the players had their best years from about the ages 23-26, with little variation.
      • But in your best years, no matter what you do, if there is an incident, the conclusion will be that you didn't do enough.

  • do (or try) one's best

    • Do all one can.

      Ruth did her best to reassure her
      Example sentencesExamples
      • All the previous presidents insisted upon trying their best to bring about some sort of accommodation between Israel and its nation neighbors.
      • I have always been a great believer in trying your best to get into good positions in sport.
      • You also drive under pressure all day trying your best to keep your bus on time.
      • And it makes for a really good story - a composite portrait of four bizarre characters tangled up together by circumstances and trying their best to get through them in one piece.
      • In general, behind every happy and successful child, there is a hard-working, conscientious adult trying their best to pull off the difficult trick of parenthood.
      • The man in the grey jacket slinks out of the bar and into a dark alley but the students are busy studying cakes in shop windows, rifling through papers at a news kiosk and trying their best to look natural.
      • The thinking goes, ‘My parents are trying their best, so I shouldn't complain.’
      • We know we are in for a fight so everyone's pulling together and trying their best.
      • People have faced up to the issues and are trying their best to bring communities together.
      • Democrats control neither Congress nor the White House, but they are trying their best to control the judicial nominating process.
      • They are taking steps to live in harmony with Nature, using no more than they really need, trying their best not to infringe on the rights of others in their quest for survival.
      • You are there on the stage and everyone is looking closely at you, trying their best to find out how you are doing the trick.
      • ‘We submit the prosecution witnesses were essentially trying their best to tell you the truth of what they recall happened that night,’ he said.
      • Alex was watching, so the United players were all trying their best and we got hammered.
      • Although her parents have been trying their best to get her to settle down and get married, she has managed to avoid it so far, claiming that she enjoys being single and independent.
      • But now I realize everybody's trying their best.
      • ‘I'm reasonably happy with the performance because the 15 were trying their best and you can't ask any more of them,’ he said.
      • Mrs Jones said: ‘The police have been fantastic and I know they are trying their best.’
      • You're trying your best to create, in front of the camera, some approximation of the real world.
      • People are trying their best to make the town look attractive but rubbish really spoils it.
      Synonyms
      do one's utmost, try one's hardest, try as hard as one can, make every effort, spare no effort, do all one can, give one's all, be at pains

  • be for (or all for) the best

    • Be desirable in the end, although not at first seeming so.

      Example sentencesExamples
      • Uncle Bill put a lot of work into a failed effort, but maybe it was for the best.
      • 10 years ago my parents divorced, and it was for the best.
      • Though her departure from the estate was a bittersweet one, she knew it was for the best, for although she did not know entirely where she belonged, she knew it wasn't there.
      • Maybe it is for the best if you stay away from the rallies, Weller.
      • I think maybe it would be for the best if we just forgot I ever wrote this post.
      • So, no picture of Mom and maybe it's all for the best, huh?
      • Maybe it was for the best though, she thought, she had to deal with her own problems, they'd catch up to her anyway.
      • Maybe that was for the best, considering Kelsey knows and she thinks we're crazy.
      • I'm not surprised how things ended for one character in particular; this person has been going downhill for awhile, so the end they had was for the best in that sense.
      • Maybe it was for the best that Deimos expressed no interest in her.
      • He has brought nothing but death, destruction and fear, maybe a change is for the best.
      • I thought maybe that was for the best because that way if I made a fool of myself and fell off or something, at least Ben and the other guys would not see it.
      • But if this was causing her problems already maybe it would be for the best…
      • I knew that he could tell that I wasn't happy about the decision, but maybe it was for the best.
      • Maybe it was for the best that they went their separate ways then, instead of dragging it out and getting more hurt.
      • I explained it was for the best, said I was sorry and asked for forgiveness. 2 days later I woke to find no peace of mind, no nirvana, just a failed suicide and the continual nightmare.
      • She didn't know the answers to her questions, but maybe that was for the best.
      • Maybe it would be for the best if I set out some facts.
      • Still - reading what I've just written, maybe it was for the best.
      • I know I've been the one pushing this football thing, but maybe it would be for the best if you quit.

  • get the best of

    • Overcome (someone)

      his drinking got the best of him and he was fired
      Example sentencesExamples
      • I honestly believe that the president got the best of him by simply doing the opposite of whatever he recommended.
      • Were China's entrenched conservative interests getting the best of him?
      • Maybe it was my own hunger pangs getting the best of me.
      • Anger and paranoia, no doubt vital fuels for his groundbreaking work, got the best of him in the end.
      • In the earlier semi-final, Sheffield Steelers got the best of a scrappy game.
      • Because of that you felt that you were part of a movement, your ego got the best of you.
      • One year, a long time ago, when the consuming nature of the shopping beast was getting the best of me, I decided to switch sides and took a job as a holiday Santa Claus at a ghost mall on the south side of Milwaukee.
      • Bomber's great fault is his enthusiasm sometimes gets the best of him.
      • At least it's warm in the rug, so I won't have to spend as much on my heating bill… My Finnish frugality always gets the best of me.
      • One can only hope that his ego gets the best of his common sense this off-season, compelling him to exercise his free agent rights and sign with another team.
      • In the end, Gray's vanity gets the best of him in a most brutal manner - beauty, after all, can't last forever.
      • If that sweet tooth is still getting the best of you, try sweet treats that contain low saturated fats and low-calorie sweeteners.
      • Your quest has continued so long that, unfortunately, you now run the risk of your impatience getting the best of you.
      • Ted's bout with delusions is getting the best of him, I suppose.
      • My curiosity got the best of me and I inquired as to how she knew this, let alone even knew who I was looking at.
      • However, on the afternoon of their 10th anniversary, curiosity got the best of her and she lifted the lid and peeked inside.
      • However, we never really got the best of the old building.
      • My head was light, I felt extremely weak and the joint pains got the best of me.
      • Brown's selfishness eventually gets the best of him, and Greene closes the novel with a plot twist that introduces more questions than it answers.
      • When my mate, Annie, suggested that, instead of a Sunday walk on the beach, we go to this gym for a swim, my curiosity got the best of me.

  • had best do something

    • Find it most sensible or well advised to do the thing mentioned.

      I'd best be going
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Only you can force sustained revenue and earnings growth at your agency and you had best do it now.
      • Anyone who wants to raise this as a problem had best do it behind his back, because if he's around to respond, he will respond brilliantly.
      • Yet now, nearly six weeks after Moses disappeared into the smoke and fire, they had decided that he had vanished off the face of the earth, and therefore they had best do something.
      • I really believe if you want to be successful today in this arena, you had best do it all.
      • If we do truly seal our border we had best do it with a true open door for those to walk through legally.
      • My older son said, "Dad, it's still us three against the world, and the world had best watch out."
      • If we do not want them guiding it over a cliff, we had best do something to pry them from the grip of leftists.
      • The two had agreed that to prevent any leakage, the then Law Minister had best do it himself, involving no official, not even a stenographer.
      • So, attention Democrats: If you want to do something dramatic with your new majority, you had best do it now.
      • Then when you don't pay them on Friday and you say we will get a check to you by Monday you had best do it.
      • You had best be careful, there is a lot at stake here
      • If the duo have any plans at all of going outside, they had best do it early.
      • And he thinks ‘twill be very wet weather; So my friends and good fellows, You had best get home dry altogether. “
      • Having become totally addicted to waterfall hiking we realized we had best do it safely and respectfully.
      • If you want the corner curvature to be right you had best do it yourself.
      • So, a company that puts itself up for sale, with the intent of staying intact after the sale, had best do something about that.
      • He arises again and calls in his friends and servants and tells them that if they have any business that requires his attention they had best do it now.
      • My impression is that they realize that there's a crisis here, and they had best do something about it.
      • Apple had best hurry up with that video.
      • If we are going to do something, we had best do it quick, before they get completely out of our range.

  • make the best of

    • 1Derive what limited advantage one can from (something unsatisfactory or unwelcome)

      you'll just have to make the best of the situation
      Example sentencesExamples
      • To his supporters, Washington was making the best of limited opportunities for African Americans in the South.
      • I have made mistakes but what is important is making the best of the resources available to me.
      • The inside barrier is a real advantage in a two-year-old race and Kenneth made the best of it leading with Indecent Exposure and Crown Pilot on its outside.
      • Although crippled in many ways, it has found new means of program delivery and has made the best of what was possible on its radically reduced budget.
      • As tacky as most modern decorations are it's amazing what a little tinsel and a few lights can do to enhance the feeling - especially when genuine effort has gone into making the best of meagre resources.
      • He frequently makes the best of limited opportunities, and was again seen to advantage aboard Forest Leader in the moderate Rathkeale Handicap Hurdle.
      • The complete tour of a Tokyo apartment - compact and bijou, but clean, light and equipped with modern equipment to make the best of the limited space.
      • Frustrated travelers made the best of a bad day
      • The production makes the best of the limited space of the top floor of Bewley's.
      • The prevailing ethos on No Disco seemed a bit more thoughtful, a bit more arty, making the best of an obviously limited budget.
      • Nnetheless, even though we cannot make what we think we want to come true, we can make the best of the possibilities that we have.
      • There is probably no way that this can be done adequately, and researchers have had to make the best of the limited access that has been granted them.
      • Dr Bass manages to combine humility with humanity and while he never exactly makes me feel good about having cancer, I feel that together we can make the best of a bad deal.
      • Project finance made the best of a tough year, finding ways to fund unglamorous Latin American fertilizer and oil projects despite the plunging price of crude and sovereign downgrades.
      • They're examples of how that stoic, struggle on and make the best of a bad deal and tough times attitude can work against you sometimes.
      • Charlotte, who is making the best of life coping with M.E. and maintains a pleasant outgoing nature, says she would love to do the things her friends can do, such as canoeing and other sports, going out and going to school.
      • The host country and the coach, in particular, made the best of the limited talent at its disposal and beat Italy by a golden goal.
      • We have to make the best of the resources we have, especially with a double-header ahead of us in the World Cup qualifying campaign.
      • As a result they don't capture the learning potential of successful health initiatives developed in countries long honed to making the best of meagre resources.
      • It was a difficult speech to give, but I think she made the best of a bad job.
      • You can complain, or you can make the best of it.
      • Adie, of course, is a bit of a trooper, experienced in making the best of difficult situations.
      • In the early stages the smooth boxing Hare easily countered the onrushing Cherchari who was not making the best of his height and reach advantages.
      Synonyms
      make the best of, get by on, get by with, put to the best use, make the most of
      1. 1.1Use (resources) as well as possible.
        he tried to make the best of his talents
        Example sentencesExamples
        • Silage cutting is at full force as well as baled hay and farmers are making the best of the better weather to save the crops with less hassle than 2002.
        • In addition to using skills such as maths and English, the youngsters would learn how to see opportunities and make the best of their resources.
        • He has been phenomenal at making the best of what he has got.
        • There is a determination to do well, to make the best of the resources available to him, but what is the key to getting back on the winning track?
        • The emphasis is making the best of what we already have.
        • With the recent spell of reasonably fine, dry weather everyone is making the best of it.
        • He encouraged them in every way possible to make the best of their respective strengths.
        • Rochdale Council street lighting team leader Dave Ralphs said workmen had to make the best of all the working days before the lights are switched on.
        • However, Tchaikovsky showed it was possible to make the best of both worlds.
        • We have to make the best of whatever cards we have been given.
        • Let us make the best of this virtue by living it, by making colour, caste, language and similar distinctions irrelevant among us.
        • Sailors in Scotland's Capital Ship have made the best of unusually good weather to take a brief but dramatic tour of remote South Georgia.
        • We have to make the best of our maritime resources in all aspects.
        • We all look forward to a future that will see generations of Rotherham children making the best of all their abilities.
        • He has proved himself at Leicester and Celtic, in each case making the best of his resources.
        • Given those common-sense measures, it should be possible for most of us to make the best of Britain's rare sunny days and stay safe.
        • This is about making the best of what you have got,’ he said.
        • Its really easy to be frustrated… but isn't life all about making the best of what you have?
        • We have here the where-with-all to make the best of all possible amenities.
        • It's just a question of Papua New Guinea making the best of the resources that are available to it.

  • with the best of them

    • As well or as much as anyone.

      he'll be out there dancing with the best of them
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Here again the society is fortunate to have a great line-up with any of the ensemble capable of mixing it with the best of them.
      • We can park with the best of them - we've all had enough practice.
      • Not much of a dribbler; could travel and carry the ball with the best of them.
      • Now I slur my words and mangle the language with the best of them, though people close to me do still tease me for my tendency towards pomposity.
      • He's the player who makes it work at the sharp end, a finisher who can hold the ball up, nick the odd penalty, and bully a centre-half with the best of them.
      • She knows her French philosophers and can pontificate on Sartrian self-determinism with the best of them.
      • She proved she could rap with the best of them, but her singing voice leaves quite a bit to be desired.
      • I've never been a big meat eater, although until a few weeks ago I was happily enjoying KFC with the best of them.
      • The lucky threesome were whisked off to the home of Derby County - Pride Park - where they were wined and dined with the best of them.
      • After Round Five, that gives her 28 from a possible 40, right up there with the best of them.
      • Our companies can compete with the best of them, if the playing field is level.
      • They know they can compete with the best of them, but their greatest opponent still appears to be the demons in their head.
      • She still had her Irish brogue and could dance with the best of them.
      • When it comes to small countries, the Eaglemeister can stomp with the best of them.
      • Once upon a time, say the authors, most Scots knew most of the dances and could take a turn with the best of them, but that is not always the case today.
      • It's coupled with a male lead singer who croons with the best of them.
      • We like to think that we're up there with the best of them, and we get grumpy and defensive when visitors suggest otherwise.
      • The calibre of this years Oscar nominations is top-notch and Chicago is up there with the best of them.
      • But where they are in power, they privatise with the best of them.
      • Scotland's new forward coach gets the ball away with the best of them but, when he is unable to do so, seldom fails to protect possession jealously.

Origin

Old English betest (adjective), betost, betst (adverb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German best, also to better.

adj.1
phr.
 
 
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更新时间：2024/11/10 14:55:34