First: Allah said:

“We bring one better than it or like it.”

He did not say, “a verse better than it.” Rather, He brings Quranic revelation better than it or like it. Although the Verse of the Throne is the best of all verses, a collection of verses may be better than it. Although Sūrat al-Baqarah is unanimously agreed to be Medinan, and has been described as the first revelation sent down in Medina, this undoubtedly applies only to some of its verses. The prohibition of usury, for instance, was revealed only later.

His words:

“And fear a Day when you will be returned to Allah”

were among the last revelations. His words:

“And complete the pilgrimage and the lesser pilgrimage for Allah”

were revealed in the year of al-Hudaybiyyah, in 6 AH, by scholarly consensus. Sūrat al-Hashr had been revealed before that, for everyone agrees that it was revealed concerning Banū al-Nadīr. Everyone also agrees that the events involving Banū al-Nadīr preceded al-Hudaybiyyah—indeed, they preceded the Battle of the Trench. It was only the affair of Banū Qurayzah that occurred after the Battle of the Trench: they were the ones whom the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, besieged immediately after that battle. As for Banū al-Nadīr, he had expelled them before then, by scholarly consensus.

Likewise, Sūrat al-Hadīd is Medinan according to the majority. It has been said to be Meccan, but this is a weak view, because it mentions the hypocrites and the People of the Book, and such passages were revealed only in Medina. Nevertheless, it may have been revealed before much of Sūrat al-Baqarah.

In short, it is possible that the beginning of Sūrat al-Hadīd and the end of Sūrat al-Hashr were revealed before the Verse of the Throne. Sūrat al-An‘ām, Sūrat Yā Sīn, and other surahs were revealed before the Verse of the Throne by unanimous agreement.