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Definitions

underdog

[uhn-der-dawg, -dog] / ˈʌn dərˌdɔg, -ˌdɒg /
NOUN
unlikely winner in a contest or struggle
Synonyms
Antonyms


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

By 1999, King had been awarded an MBE for services to music as the Mobos grew from scrappy underdog to music industry fixture, holding its own against the long-established Brit Awards.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

“The underdog stayed in the fight,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

Then the NBA’s ultimate underdog turned into basketball’s biggest winner.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

The company, founded in 2021 by a group of former OpenAI employees, was once a scrappy underdog that investors were uncertain could pull ahead of the ChatGPT maker.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

DNA, once the underdog of all biological molecules, was thrust into the limelight.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee




Vocabulary lists containing underdog


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