underbid

American  

[uhn-der-bid] / ˌʌn dərˈbɪd /

verb (used with object)

underbid, underbidding

1. 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.

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

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verb (used without object)

underbid, underbidding

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

underbid British  

/ ˌʌndəˈbɪd /

verb

1. to submit a bid lower than that of (others)

   Irena underbid the other dealers

2. to submit an excessively low bid for

3. bridge to make a bid that will win fewer tricks than is justified by the strength of the hand

   he underbid his hand

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Other Word Forms

• underbidder noun

Etymology

Origin of underbid

First recorded in 1585–95; under- + bid ¹

Example Sentences

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

The proposal also covers bids in public tenders in order to prevent the use of foreign subsidies to grow market share or underbid European rivals to gain access to strategically important markets or critical infrastructure.

From Reuters • Jun. 1, 2022

Some of its pork plants kill more than 1,000 pigs an hour, enabling JBS to operate off a slimmer profit margin and underbid other companies for the bailout contracts.

From Washington Post • Nov. 4, 2019

Academic jobs—especially in such “useless” fields as English, history, philosophy, and the foreign languages—are so scarce, and seekers so desperate, that if underbidding became standard practice, the winning underbid would always be zero.

From Slate • Nov. 3, 2015

I tell you whoever underbid us will lose money by it, or else you’ll get poor stuff.”

From The Boss of Wind River by Chisholm, A. M. (Arthur Murray)