Meaning & use
one-sided victory
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Meaning
nouncountable
A win in which one side is much stronger and the other has almost no chance.
Grammar: Countable: 'a one-sided victory', 'two one-sided victories'. Often used with 'win' or 'score'.
Patterns
- a one-sided victory over someone
- a one-sided victory for someone
- win a one-sided victory
The home team celebrated a one-sided victory over their rivals.
It was a one-sided victory, with the final score 5–0.
The fans expected a one-sided victory, and they were right.
Word forms
| plural | one-sided victories |
|---|
Common combinations
- a one-sided victory over
- They claimed a one-sided victory over the visiting team.
- a one-sided victory for
- It was a one-sided victory for the champions.
- win a one-sided victory
- The boxer won a one-sided victory in the first round.
- a surprisingly one-sided victory
- The match ended in a surprisingly one-sided victory.
Synonyms and how they differ
- landslide
- Used mainly for elections, meaning a very large win; 'one-sided victory' is more general and common in sports.
- rout
- A complete and humiliating defeat; stronger than 'one-sided victory' and often suggests the loser was overwhelmed.
- walkover
- Informal; a very easy win because the opponent is weak or absent. 'One-sided victory' focuses on the score difference, not the ease.
Opposites
Word family
- one-sided adjective
- Unfairly favoring one side, or (of a contest) having a very unequal balance.
Commonly confused: one-sided victory or one-sided?
one-sided victory vs one-sided
As an adjective, 'one-sided' often means biased or unfair, as in 'a one-sided account'. In sports, it describes a match where one team is much stronger.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'one-sided victory' correctly?
Choose one answer.
We say 'a victory for someone' to name the winner. Option 1 uses 'for' correctly. Option 2 uses 'of', which is not used here. Option 3 uses 'to', which is wrong. Option 4 uses 'with', which does not fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “one-sided victory”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.