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
And that’s about the only activity that will be buzzing around the arena this spring, mostly because an annual ritual locked in for the better part of the past decade is taking place once again.
—
Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 26 Mar. 2025
This team’s core has been together for the better part of a decade.
—Tony Jones, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
One thing that is certain is that Williams dated Rutherford, who is thirty-nine, for the better part of a decade.
—Ronan Farrow, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
But for the better part of a decade, the family has been accused of involvement in a variety of crimes, ranging from fraud to murder.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the best/better/greater part of
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Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 26 Mar. 2025
This team’s core has been together for the better part of a decade.
—Tony Jones, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
One thing that is certain is that Williams dated Rutherford, who is thirty-nine, for the better part of a decade.
—Ronan Farrow, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
But for the better part of a decade, the family has been accused of involvement in a variety of crimes, ranging from fraud to murder.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the best/better/greater part of
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 30 Mar. 2025.
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