keep one step ahead of

keep one step ahead of someone or something

 and stay one step ahead of someone or something

Fig. to be or stay slightly in advance of someone or something. Al kept one step ahead of Detective Rogers. Try to keep one step ahead of the investigators.

See also: ahead, keep, of, one, step

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.