lowball

verb

low·​ball ˈlō-ˌbȯl How to pronounce lowball (audio)
lowballed; lowballing; lowballs

transitive verb

1
: to give (a customer) a deceptively low price or cost estimate
2
: to give a markedly or unfairly low offer
lowballed him in contract negotiations
lowball noun

Examples of lowball in a Sentence

It became clear that the contractor had lowballed us on the cost of materials. Management lowballed him in contract negotiations.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But he's been in this exact situation before, which should give the Cavs pause about attempting to lowball him. — Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026 Early settlement offers might lowball the reality of the situation, before damages are fully understood, using statements out of context. — Gretchen M. Stone, USA Today, 19 Mar. 2026 Harvey Weinstein famously lowballed the Wayanses after the success of Scary Movie and Scary Movie 2. — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 5 June 2026 But because the French judge lowballed the American team even more, the Finnish judge’s low score would still have been counted for Chock and Bates but thrown out for Beaudry and Cizeron. — Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 20 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lowball

Word History

First Known Use

1957, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lowball was in 1957

Rhymes for lowball

See All Rhymes for lowball

Browse Nearby Words

low-angle fault
lowball
low beam
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lowball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lowball. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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