Question

in_the_loop_612 to outperform someone by a wide margin; to be better than someone Compare to: head and shoulders above; not hold a candle to (someone)

Accepted Answer

RUN CIRCLES AROUND (SOMEONE) Tina is a much better tennis player than Mary. She ran circles around Mary in the tennis match yesterday.I’m not very good at math and science. Most people run circles around me in those two subjects. The expression suggests someone who can move quickly around another person, leaving him dazed or sluggishly stuck in the middle. Whereas run circles around someone means to outperform someone (usually physically), head and shoulders above someone usually refers to a person’s character or inner qualities.

Id	in_the_loop_612
Idiom	RUN CIRCLES AROUND (SOMEONE)
Definition	to outperform someone by a wide margin; to be better than someone
Examples	Tina is a much better tennis player than Mary. She ran circles around Mary in the tennis match yesterday. I’m not very good at math and science. Most people run circles around me in those two subjects.
Cross-Refs	Compare to: head and shoulders above; not hold a candle to (someone)
Extra Info	The expression suggests someone who can move quickly around another person, leaving him dazed or sluggishly stuck in the middle. Whereas run circles around someone means to outperform someone (usually physically), head and shoulders above someone usually refers to a person’s character or inner qualities.

Circles Run Outperform Tennis Head Shoulders Loop Wide