bidding war

American  

[bid-ing-wawr] / ˈbɪd ɪŋ wɔr /

noun

1. a competition in which two or more potential buyers make increasing offers to buy the same thing.

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Example Sentences

Competing against streaming giant Netflix, Paramount Skydance prevailed in the bidding war for Warner Bros.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Netflix initially won the bidding war in early December with a $27.75 offer for the studios and streaming services, including HBO Max.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

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 • Mar. 24, 2026

Dow Chemical flirted with ruin because it won a bidding war for a competitor in 2008 but was left billions short at closing time when a Kuwaiti state company backed out of a joint venture.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Two grandmothers are in a bidding war over the child’s antique tea set.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett