the best/better/greater part of

idiom

: more than half of (something) : most of (something)
It took us the better part of a week to finish the job.
We've been waiting for the best part of an hour.
They live here for the greater part of the year.

Examples of the best/better/greater part of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For a Milwaukee team that's spent the better part of two years not being able to deliver a consistent product, adding a player who has his own issues in that department was always an odd choice. Morten Stig Jensen, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025 Cobb is a native to Georgia and Hood is from Alabama, and the two have been friends — and occasional collaborators — for the better part of two decades. Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2025 His father, Neymar Snr, was merrily teeing up endorsement deals, the start of what would eventually become Neymar Inc, a whole industry that trades on his image that has also meant Jnr and Snr haven’t had a real father-son relationship for the better part of two decades. Nick Miller, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025 Nguyen has been involved in the Orlando food scene for the better part of two decades, logging time in sushi strongholds like Hana and Seito and Umi before striking out on his own into the food truck scene in 2017. Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for the best/better/greater part of

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“The best/better/greater part of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20best%2Fbetter%2Fgreater%20part%20of. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!