How to Use underdog in a Sentence

underdog

noun
  • I always root for the underdog instead of the favorite.
  • As a lawyer, she consistently represented the underdog.
  • In one of those, the underdog won.
    — Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 26 Feb. 2026
  • In a two-way race, the math just doesn’t work for the underdogs.
    — TIME, 16 Jan. 2024
  • The underdog stayed in the fight.
    — Marisa Lagos, NPR, 3 June 2026
  • That’s time to put in trick plays, get healthy and play the underdog card.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2023
  • Most of us are underdogs, right?
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2025
  • This underdog story takes a dark turn and the pals turn foes.
    — Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2023
  • Chelsea are the clear underdogs.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 13 May 2026
  • Two top 25 teams are underdogs on the road.
    — Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Maybe because his whole life, he's been an underdog.
    — Michael Abeyta, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Not an underdog story for all times.
    — Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026
  • In many ways, this has been the World Cup of the underdog.
    — Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 24 June 2026
  • Who doesn’t love a good underdog story?
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 7 June 2026
  • Philly should have to throw more this week as an underdog at Denver.
    — Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Nov. 2021
  • The first two out were pretty hefty underdogs by the folks who make betting lines.
    — Wally Hall, arkansasonline.com, 22 Dec. 2024
  • The scrappy underdogs who could have punched the Knicks in the mouth.
    — Matt Moret, New York Times, 7 May 2026
  • To me, a guy with a PhD didn't seem to fit the theme of an underdog.
    — Dalton Ross, EW.com, 8 July 2021
  • The Huskies are not an underdog, despite the line.
    — Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
  • You’re clearly being set up to root for the underdog.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Aug. 2025
  • But that’s more because of the top of the sport than any issue with the plucky underdogs.
    — Brendan Marks, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
  • That means a lot more underdogs and a greater chance that a few might break through to make history.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 9 June 2026
  • Can the Fretboard brew keep the underdog train truckin'?
    — Rasputin Todd, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Mar. 2026
  • How much of an underdog were the Eagles?
    — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2026
  • Yes, underdogs can win this game because there’s so much emotion on the field and in the stands.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2023
  • So which underdog has the best chance to win the WBC?
    — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
  • On paper, Troy was a huge underdog.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 June 2026
  • But with a whiff of underdog, which is the way the Cardinal likes it.
    — Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Mar. 2022
  • Louisville opened the week as a 7-point underdog against the Wolfpack.
    — Reina Kempt, The Courier-Journal, 31 Oct. 2021
  • As the pressure piled up, so did the dot balls and suddenly the underdogs were well in the game.
    — Thomas Schlachter, CNN, 12 June 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'underdog.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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