get the drop on

get the drop on (third-person singular simple present gets the drop on, present participle getting the drop on, simple past got the drop on, past participle (UK) got the drop on or (US) gotten the drop on)

1. (transitive, informal) To point one's firearm at another person, thereby gaining dominance in a situation.

   He got the drop on them and proceeded to shoot and kill them before they could fire a shot or respond.

2. (transitive, informal, by extension) To obtain an advantage over another person, by acting before that person.

   Synonyms: beat to the punch, get the jump on

   We’re always getting the drop on our competitors because the owner really knows the business and can act fast.

   • 2019 April 28, Alex McLevy, “Game Of Thrones Suffers the Fog of War in the Battle against the Dead (Newbies)”, in The A.V. Club‎, archived from the original on 31 May 2021:

     The petty critic in me would say the show could’ve done a better job of revealing how she got the drop on the Night King instead of just Deus Ex Arya’ing the situation, but it’s a very satisfying moment, so we’ll let it pass.

• have the drop on
• steal a march