COMPETITION
get a head start (on someone)
to start (something) earlier than someone else.Bill always gets there first because he gets a head start on everybody else.I'm doing well in my class because I have a head start.
hold one's own
to do as well as anyone else.I can hold my own in a footrace any day.She was unable to hold her own, and she had to quit.
in the running
in competition; competing and having a chance to win.Is Tom still in the running? Does he still have a chance to be elected?I'm glad I didn't get into the running.
rat race
a fierce struggle for success, especially in one's career or business.Bob got tired of the rat race. He's retired and gone to the country.The money market is a rat race, and many people who work in it die of the stress.
big league
n. a situation where competition is keen and a high level of performance is expected. (Usually plural. Referred originally to major league sports.)In the big leagues you've got to know what you're worth.You're in the big leagues now—no more penny-ante stuff.
dog-eat-dog
mod. cruel; highly competitive.This is a dog-eat-dog world.It's dog-eat-dog out there.