long odds

noun

: a poor chance of winning
The team has made some major improvements, but they still face long odds.

Examples of long odds 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 other came in the ninth inning, when Edman could not field a grounder to turn a possible double play, extending their deficit to 6-1 and further reducing the Dodgers' long odds of staging a comeback. — ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026 Two Republicans are running in the GOP primary to challenge Balint, but either would face long odds of winning the general election. — Washington Post Staff, Washington Post, 11 Aug. 2026 No one remembers the countless teams that never recovered in the face of long odds. — Dennis Lin, New York Times, 26 July 2026 At 38-59 entering the break, Los Angeles faces long odds of reversing course and mounting a playoff push, but Trout said the doubt surrounding the team has only fueled his motivation. — Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for long odds

Rhymes for long odds

See All Rhymes for long odds

Browse Nearby Words

Longobard
long odds
long of
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Long odds.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/long%20odds. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of balmy

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All