Ahead of the game

ahead of the game

adverb phrase

in a winning or advantageous position: hard as i try, i can’t seem to get ahead of the game
in a position of advantage, especially financially; succeeding or winning. for example, if we can sell 2,000 units of this product by next month, we’ll be well ahead of the game . this idiom uses ahead of in the sense of “in advance of,” a usage dating from the mid-1700s, and transfers success in gambling ( the game ) to winning in other areas. also see come out ahead