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
Hurley made a point to mention after Saturday’s win over Illinois that the Huskies were underdogs despite beating them by 13 points in November.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Now the Huskies, underdogs again, face Michigan for the championship Monday night.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2026
Everyone loves a good underdog story, and there’s a fun one in the nation’s capital.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
This underlying data indicates that Cleveland offers strong value as a spread underdog.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
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Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Now the Huskies, underdogs again, face Michigan for the championship Monday night.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2026
Everyone loves a good underdog story, and there’s a fun one in the nation’s capital.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
This underlying data indicates that Cleveland offers strong value as a spread underdog.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 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 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
underdog
noun
un·der·dog
ˈən-dər-ˌdȯg
: the loser or predicted loser in a struggle
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