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Synonyms

bidding

American  
[bid-ing] / ˈbɪd ɪŋ /

noun

  1. command; summons; invitation.

    I went there at his bidding.

  2. bids bid collectively, or a period during which bids bid are made or received.

    The bidding began furiously.

  3. a bid. bide.


idioms

  1. do someone's bidding, to submit to someone's orders; perform services for someone.

    After he was promoted to vice president at the bank, he expected everyone around him to do his bidding.

bidding British  
/ ˈbɪdɪŋ /

noun

  1. an order; command (often in the phrases do or follow the bidding of , at someone's bidding )

  2. an invitation; summons

  3. the act of making bids, as at an auction or in bridge

  4. bridge a group of bids considered collectively, esp those made on a particular deal

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bidding

Middle English word dating back to 1125–75; bid 1, -ing 1

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.

It won a bidding war for the sandwich chain Subway in 2023.

From The Wall Street Journal

Sanders told the Journal the state didn’t tell Franklin County residents about the plan to put it there until after the government purchased the land—for about $3 million—to avoid a bidding war.

From The Wall Street Journal

Yet, Paramount’s stock has taken a beating since winning the bidding war.

From Barron's

The prices were the result of a required competitive bidding process.

From The Wall Street Journal

Netflix is set to come out of the bidding war $2.8 billion richer because of the termination fee it’s owed by Warner and Paramount.

From Barron's