Word.ws English Dictionary

builds a better mousetrap

builds a better mousetrap is the third-person singular simple present indicative of build a better mousetrap.

Meaning of build a better mousetrap

Verb

build a better mousetrap (third-person singular simple present builds a better mousetrap, present participle building a better mousetrap, simple past and past participle built a better mousetrap)

  1. (idiomatic) To create a new product, method, or idea that is better than an existing version of something already common or widely used.
    • Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door. misattributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson

Questions about builds a better mousetrap

What is builds a better mousetrap the third-person singular simple present indicative of?
Builds a better mousetrap is the third-person singular simple present indicative of build a better mousetrap.

Words near builds a better mousetrap in the dictionary

  1. buildplate
  2. buildplates
  3. buildress
  4. buildresses
  5. builds
  6. builds a better mousetrap
  7. builds a case
  8. builds air castles
  9. builds bridges
  10. builds castles in the air
  11. builds character

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: builds a better mousetrap (page history and authors); build a better mousetrap (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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