Word
outbid
Phoneticsout·bid, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈaʊtˌbɪd/
UK/aʊtbˈɪd/
Definition
v. to offer more money than another person in an auction or sale. You use this when people compete by raising the price.
v. to offer a higher bid than a competitor in an auction or competitive sale.
Examples
“She outbids everyone for the old painting.”
“Two collectors keep raising their offers, but he finally outbids her for the rare comic book.”
“Determined to secure the downtown property, the developer outbid three rival firms despite knowing the renovation costs would strain the budget for years.”
Examples
simple
“She outbids everyone for the old painting.”
contextual
“Two collectors keep raising their offers, but he finally outbids her for the rare comic book.”
complex
“Determined to secure the downtown property, the developer outbid three rival firms despite knowing the renovation costs would strain the budget for years.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “outbid” in context.
Verb
01. attempt to outbid
“The firm attempted to outbid its main competitor for the contract.”
verb + to + verb
02. manage to outbid
“She managed to outbid three other buyers for the flat.”
verb + to + verb
03. outbid bidder
“He raised his paddle and outbid every other bidder in the room.”
verb + noun
04. outbid buyer
“They outbid several buyers to secure their first family home.”
verb + noun
05. outbid competitor
“We were disappointed when a larger company outbid competitors for the land.”
verb + noun
06. outbid rival
“A private collector outbid rivals to win the sculpture at auction.”
verb + noun
Noun
07. outbid at auction
“The museum outbid at auction to acquire the historic manuscript.”
verb + prep + noun
08. outbid for contract
“The supplier was outbid for the contract by a cheaper foreign firm.”
verb + prep + noun
09. outbid on property
“Young couples are often outbid on property by cash investors.”
verb + prep + noun
10. be outbid by a rival
“We were outbid by a rival just seconds before the sale closed.”
11. easily outbid the competition
“The wealthy developer easily outbid the competition for the site.”
12. outbid everyone for the house
“They loved the area so much they outbid everyone for the house.”
Usage
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object; past tense and past participle are usually 'outbid'.
Real-World Examples
“(Reuters) -Investment manager Ancala Partners outbid Morgan Stanley Infrastructure (MSI) in a rare auction to buy Augean for 390 million pounds ($532 million), ending a month-long takeover battle for the UK-based waste management firm.” “NEW YORK, June 30 (Reuters) - Second Market, one of the more prominent bidders in the U.S. Marshals bitcoin auction, on Monday said it was outbid in its attempts to buy some of the nearly 30,000 coins sold late last week.” “The local unit of French power giant Engie (ENGIE.PA), opens new tab outbid a handful of peers to win lot 1 of the auction with a proposed discount of 48.14% on its maximum annual revenue, which is set to total 252.4 million reais.” “The Jane Austen's House Museum can now make a "serious expression" of intention to buy the piece, after being outbid at auction by U.S. pop singer Kelly Clarkson last year.” Etymology
From out- + bid.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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