Question

Choose the exact meaning of the idiom/phrase
To steal a march

A) To outshine
B) To start early
C) To command an army
D) To forge

Answer 1

Hint: to steal a march means to unexpectedly gain an advantage over something or someone, like for example, They stole a march on their rival in the semi-final round.

Complete step by step answer:
To choose which option expresses the meaning of the idiom/phrase, first analyze all the options individually.

A) To outshine: to shine brightly, usually used for being better than someone in something. For example, there was no one among the participants to outshine him.
B) To start early: to begin with a journey or an activity early in a day, for example, tomorrow is a long day for us, thus, we are to start early.
C) To command an army: to give orders to the soldiers, can be during a war or during training, for example, Henry Galloway was chosen to command the army during the war.
D) To forge: to make or shape an object by heating it in fire and hammering it, for example, he forged a war suit of black shining armor.

So, the correct answer is “Option A”. “To steal a march”.

Note: The idiom was taken during medieval warfare, where a march was the distance an army could travel in a day.