better than

better than idiom
  1. Superior to, as in He's no better than Tom at writing a memo. [9th century]
  2. More than, larger in amount or greater in rate, as in My new car can do better than 100 miles an hour, or The new plan will cut better than 15 percent of costs. Some authorities consider this usage colloquial and advise that it be avoided in formal writing. [Late 1500s] Also see better half, def. 1.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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