price war

American  

noun

1. intensive competition, especially among retailers, in which prices are repeatedly cut in order to undersell competitors or sometimes to force smaller competitors out of business.

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price war British  

noun

1. a period of intense competition among enterprises, esp retail enterprises, in the same market, characterized by repeated price reductions rather than advertising, brand promotion, etc

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Etymology

Origin of price war

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

The Chinese food-delivery giant continued to bleed from a brutal price war, posting a second straight quarter in the red.

From The Wall Street Journal

The price war also pushed JD.com into its first quarterly loss in nearly four years and slid Alibaba Group’s profit by 67%.

From The Wall Street Journal

China’s market regulator reposted a column urging an end to the food delivery price war, signaling potential intervention.

From Barron's

JD.com and Alibaba stocks rise after Chinese regulators signaled a coming end to the food delivery price war.

From Barron's

Industrial profits have declined in recent years due to persistent price wars and an oversupply of manufactured goods.

From The Wall Street Journal