underdog
noun
un·der·dog
ˈən-dər-ˌdȯg 
1
: a loser or predicted loser in a struggle or contest
… the biggest obstacle has been the adjustment from underdog last season to contender …—
Mike Wise
Mike Wise2
: a victim of injustice or persecution
… portrayed himself as an honest underdog that the Government would do anything to stop.—Michael Specter
Michael SpecterExamples of underdog in a Sentence
I always root for the underdog instead of the favorite.
As a lawyer, she consistently represented the underdog.
Recent Examples on the Web
The team, hailing from the archipelago off the coast of West Africa, has grown to represent the ultimate underdog.
—
Andrea Bossi,
Allure,
3 July 2026
Usually, when the USMNT enters the knockout stage in the World Cup, they’re considered the underdogs, hoping to be scrappy to force an upset.
—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
2 July 2026
Cape Verde, the ultimate underdog, went toe-to-toe with a primary contender, shocking the soccer world with a 0-0 draw against Spain.
—
Amna Subhan,
AJC.com,
1 July 2026
In the quarter-final, underdogs North Korea took a shock 3-0 lead over Portugal, but Eusebio inspired arguably the greatest comeback in World Cup history with a magnificent display, scoring four of Portugal’s five goals.
—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for underdog
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Andrea Bossi,
Allure,
3 July 2026
Usually, when the USMNT enters the knockout stage in the World Cup, they’re considered the underdogs, hoping to be scrappy to force an upset.
—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
2 July 2026
Cape Verde, the ultimate underdog, went toe-to-toe with a primary contender, shocking the soccer world with a 0-0 draw against Spain.
—
Amna Subhan,
AJC.com,
1 July 2026
In the quarter-final, underdogs North Korea took a shock 3-0 lead over Portugal, but Eusebio inspired arguably the greatest comeback in World Cup history with a magnificent display, scoring four of Portugal’s five goals.
—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for underdog
Cite this Entry
“Underdog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underdog. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
underdog
noun
un·der·dog
ˈən-dər-ˌdȯg
: the loser or predicted loser in a struggle
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