Meaning & use
underbid
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To offer a lower price than another person or company in order to win a contract or deal.
Grammar: Can be used with an object (underbid someone) or without (we underbid to win).
Patterns
- underbid someone
- underbid for something
- underbid on something
The construction firm underbid its rivals and won the contract.
If you underbid too much, you may not make a profit.
She underbid on the house but still didn't get it.
verbtransitive or intransitivetechnical
In card games, to bid less than the value of one's hand.
Grammar: Used in games like bridge; often followed by a number or 'one's hand'.
Patterns
- underbid one's hand
- underbid a contract
He underbid his hand and missed a chance to win the game.
In bridge, it's sometimes wise to underbid to mislead opponents.
Word forms
| third person singular | underbids |
|---|---|
| past tense | underbid |
| past participle | underbid |
| -ing form | underbidding |
Common combinations
- underbid a competitor
- They underbid their competitor by 10%.
- underbid on a contract
- Several companies underbid on the government contract.
- underbid for a project
- The startup underbid for the project to gain experience.
- underbid by a large margin
- He underbid by a large margin and still lost.
Synonyms and how they differ
- undercut
- Often used when selling goods or services at a lower price than competitors; underbid is more specific to bidding for contracts.
- outbid
- Means to offer a higher price than someone else, the opposite of underbid.
Opposites
Word family
- underbidder noun
- A person or company that underbids.
- underbidding noun
- The act of making a lower bid.
Commonly confused: underbid or outbid? underbid or underwrite?
underbid vs outbid
Outbid means to bid higher than someone else; underbid means to bid lower. They are opposites.
underbid vs underwrite
Underwrite means to accept financial risk or guarantee payment; it is not related to bidding.
Practice
The company decided to ______ its competitors to win the contract, even if it meant smaller profits.
Choose one answer.
Underbid fits because it means to offer a lower price than competitors to win a contract. Outbid means to offer a higher price, which would not help win by being cheaper. Overbid means to bid too much, and underwrite is unrelated.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “underbid”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.