capitalize on

phrasal verb

capitalized on; capitalizing on; capitalizes on
: to get an advantage from (something, such as an event or situation)
They were able to capitalize on our mistakes.
She capitalized on her new fame by writing a book.

Examples of capitalize on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Record labels, publishers, and movie studios have long capitalized on the star power of dead performers—by betting, for instance, on biopics and reboots to entice old fans and draw new audiences to movie theaters. Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2024 An Emerging Trend From Sam Walton (Walmart) who capitalized on the big-box retail wave to Travis Kalanick (Uber) who revolutionized transportation by leveraging the smartphone trend, nearly every billion-dollar entrepreneur successfully identified and entered an emerging trend. Dileep Rao, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024 Opposition forces have capitalized on the preoccupation of Assad's allies—Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah—with other regional conflicts. Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024 The offensive last week successfully capitalized on the weakened and distracted state of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s key allies, as well as the rebels’ military preparedness, built over years. Dominique Soguel, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for capitalize on 

Dictionary Entries Near capitalize on

Cite this Entry

“Capitalize on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/capitalize%20on. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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