underbid
Americanverb (used with object)
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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.
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Cards. to bid less than the value or worth of (a contract or hand).
verb (used without object)
verb
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to submit a bid lower than that of (others)
Irena underbid the other dealers
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to submit an excessively low bid for
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bridge to make a bid that will win fewer tricks than is justified by the strength of the hand
he underbid his hand
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of underbid
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.
Agencies that skipped paying employment taxes could underbid the competition, said Mr. Perez, who offered to name firms that were “underpricing and skimming.”
From New York Times • Nov. 17, 2024
A stalking horse bid is an initial bid on the assets of a bankrupt company, setting the low-end bidding bar so that other bidders cannot underbid the purchase price.
From Reuters • Sep. 14, 2023
Saint Francis had been exceeding Nebraska’s caseload requirements and ultimately conceded that it had underbid its contract with the state.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 16, 2022
State officials awarded the contract in 2019 despite concerns about Optum’s record after the company underbid the incumbent contractor, Beacon Health Options, by $72.1 million.
From Washington Post • Oct. 28, 2022
The tendency to underbid rivals will always be strong where profits are large, and it may safely be asserted that efforts to maintain, through combinations, excessive rates are the most fruitful source of ruinous competition.
From The Railroad Question A historical and practical treatise on railroads, and remedies for their abuses by Larrabee, William
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
