against all odds

Idioms

In spite of seeming very unlikely, as in Against all odds we had a snowstorm in early May, or Against all odds the slower team won. This transfer of a betting term to general usage occurred about 1900.

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.

The Celtics, against all odds, have turned into one of the best teams in the NBA.

From The Wall Street Journal

But there is a concern that should, against all odds, he become president, his background could count against him.

From BBC

Following the win, Macclesfield FC - ranked 117 places below Palace in the football pyramid - posted on social media: "It's David who beat Goliath against all odds!"

From BBC

Fellow Macc fan Dean Howard said: "Get in!! Against all odds!"

From BBC

The point of her gift was not to chase her cravings; it was to finish the work that she had started, to build a great and resilient theater on the avenue where she had made her home against all odds.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023