outbid

verb

out·​bid ˌau̇t-ˈbid How to pronounce outbid (audio)
outbid; outbidden ˌau̇t-ˈbi-dᵊn How to pronounce outbid (audio) ; outbidding

transitive verb

: to make a higher bid than : to offer more than
… when employers clamor to outbid each other for the services of an engineering elite …—Randall E. Stross

Examples of outbid in a Sentence

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.
The German airline outbid Air France-KLM, the only other company in the race, Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 Wealthier countries can outbid poorer ones for limited supplies. — Richard Haass, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2026 Diller — who once run Paramount Pictures and tried to acquire Paramount before Viacom’s Sumner Redstone outbid him — originally formed Silver King Broadcasting in 1996 as a media holding company and change its name to IAC (InterActiveCorp) in 2004. — Todd Spangler, Variety, 23 Sep. 2026 Real estate agent Paul Kitchen says even all-cash offers exceeding $25 million have been outbid. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for outbid

Word History

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of outbid was in 1587

Rhymes for outbid

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Browse Nearby Words

outbellow
outbid
outbirth
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Cite this Entry

“Outbid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outbid. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

outbid

verb
out·​bid
(ˈ)au̇t-ˈbid
outbid; outbidding
: to make a higher bid than
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