underbid

[ uhn-der-bid ]

/ ˌʌn dərˈbɪd /

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verb (used with object), un·der·bid, un·der·bid·ding.

to bid less than (another bid) or less than the bid of (another bidder), especially in seeking a contract to be awarded to the lowest bid or bidder; make an offer at a lower price than.

Cards. to bid less than the value or worth of (a contract or hand).

verb (used without object), un·der·bid, un·der·bid·ding.

to bid lower than another or too low for the value of something.

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Origin of underbid

First recorded in 1585–95; under- + bid¹

OTHER WORDS FROM underbid

un·der·bid·der, noun

Words nearby underbid

underarm, underarmed, under arrest, underbearer, underbelly, underbid, underbite, underbodice, underbody, underboss, underbred

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use underbid in a sentence

If we are to be underbid on every contract worth having, we might as well go out of the business!
Tales of Fantasy and Fact|Brander Matthews
In the competition for a chance to work, the man with a lower standard of living will underbid the man with a higher standard.
The People of the Abyss|Jack London
No tradesman or manufacturer likes to see himself underbid by those who offer better goods at lower prices.
Political economy|W. Stanley Jevons
The Teuton, for a time content with trifling profit, underbid all rivals—and orders and contracts poured into Germany.
East of Suez|Frederic Courtland Penfield

His price is not what he can get, but the lowest he can live for and underbid his neighbor.
How the Other Half Lives|Jacob A. Riis

British Dictionary definitions for underbid

underbid

/ (ˌʌndəˈbɪd) /

verb -bids, -bidding or -bid (tr)

to submit a bid lower than that of (others)Irena underbid the other dealers

to submit an excessively low bid for

bridge to make a bid that will win fewer tricks than is justified by the strength of the handhe underbid his hand

Derived forms of underbid

underbidder, noun

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