getting ahead
Climbing the ladder
Getting ahead means advancing in life, career, or social standing—improving one's position relative to where one started or relative to others.
The phrase implies upward mobility and often carries connotations of ambition and competition: She worked two jobs while getting ahead in her career.
Getting ahead can mean simply making progress, but often suggests surpassing others or accumulating advantages: It's hard to get ahead when rent keeps rising.
- successFavorable outcome attained
- making itAchieving one's goal
- outperformingDoing better than others
- advancementForward movement or promotion
- climbing the ladderProgressing through hierarchy
overtaking · ambition · progression · breakthrough · promotion · corner office · edge · growth · accomplishment · striving · achievement · determination · persistence · self-confidence · investing · resilience · aspiration · competitive advantage
- self-interestself-interest, selfishness, egoism, look out for number one, every man for himself
- progressprogress, in progress, promotion, raise, making progress
- baseball tacticshit and run, double steal, pickoff, steal, sacrifice bunt
- Assumptionsfalse assumption, stereotypes, generalizations, biases, prejudices
- acting too soonjumping the gun, rushing, hasty decision, false start, impatience
- Taking Initiativeinitiative, taking charge, first move, taking action, proactive
getting aheadfalling behind
losing ground · stagnating · regressing · declining · backsliding
getting aheadfalling behind
dropping back · lagging behind · bringing up the rear · trailing
getting aheadgiving up
Choosing to stop trying
throwing in the towel · settling · coasting · letting go · surrendering
gotten, ahead, head, heads, headed, heading, headfirst, headless, header