race to the bottom

Register · Neutral Neutral — appropriate in most situations, both spoken and written, without sounding too casual or too stiff. CEFR C1

Post

Figurative meaning

a competitive spiral that drives prices, quality, or standards lower and lower

Why this phrase?

Each competitor undercuts the last until the whole category is devalued.

Example

“Underpricing each other is a race to the bottom nobody wins.”

Dictionary details

Component words

race bottom

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

arms race Neutral · CEFR C1

a competitive spiral in which rivals keep escalating their investment to stay ahead

rat race Informal · CEFR B1

the exhausting, competitive struggle to keep up at work and get ahead

800-pound gorilla Informal · CEFR C1

the biggest, most powerful player in a market, which dominates everything around it

first-mover advantage Neutral · CEFR C1

the edge a company gains by entering a market before competitors

sleeping giant Neutral · CEFR C1

a large, powerful player that has not yet fully engaged in a market

winner takes all Neutral · CEFR C1

a market dynamic in which the leading competitor captures nearly all the value

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

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