improve on

verb

variants or improve upon
improved on or improved upon; improving on or improving upon; improves on or improves upon

transitive verb

: to do better than
It's hard to improve on last year's record.

Examples of improve on 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.
With Victoria, Silvester wanted to preserve the nature of Falcon while improving on its performance. — Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 30 Aug. 2026 The Trojans, the lone ranked squad in the US LBM Coaches Poll to take the field in Week 0, look to improve on a 9-4 campaign and move up the pecking order in a top-heavy Big Ten. — Eddie Timanus, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 The defense, which also received an influx of talent through the portal, hopes to improve on finishing near the bottom of the conference in scoring, rushing and passing defense categories. — Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Aug. 2026 Koch devised a method for growing bacteria in a shallow glass dish; Julius Petri improved on it by adding a snug lid. — Jason Liebowitz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for improve on

Word History

First Known Use

1618, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of improve on was in 1618

Rhymes for improve on

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Browse Nearby Words

improvements and betterments insurance
improve on
improver
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Cite this Entry

“Improve on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/improve%20on. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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