winning

1 of 2

noun

win·​ning ˈwi-niŋ How to pronounce winning (audio)
1
: the act of one that wins : victory
2
: something won: such as
a
: a captured territory : conquest
b
: money won by success in a game or competition
usually used in plural

winning

2 of 2

adjective

1
a
: of or relating to winning : that wins
the winning ticket
b
: successful especially in competition
a winning team
2
: tending to please or delight
a winning personality
winningly adverb

Examples of winning in a Sentence

Adjective She scored the winning goal. They were a winning marketing team. Chocolate and mint is a winning combination.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
After his winning performance, in which no other skater was within 20 points of his total score, Malinin dropped to his knees and soaked in cheers from the crowd. Justin Hagey, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Mar. 2024 For an additional $1, players can add the Megaplier to potentially increase their winnings outside of the jackpot. Chris Sims, The Courier-Journal, 26 Mar. 2024 Pay an additional $1 to add the Power Play for a chance to multiply all Powerball winnings except for the jackpot. Evan Frank, The Indianapolis Star, 25 Mar. 2024 There's a chance to have your winnings increased two, three, four, five and 10 times through the Power Play for an additional $1 per play. Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 25 Mar. 2024 Auction attendees must use a credit card to register for a bidding number required to participate but could also buy winnings with cash. The Arizona Republic, 23 Mar. 2024 Here are the winning numbers for the March 23 drawing: Powerball winning numbers: 3/23/2024 The winning numbers for Saturday, March 23 were 6, 23, 25, 34 and 51 with a Powerball of 3. USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024 Her best finish in 2024: Auckland after mounting a 10-match winning streak. Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2024 Before that, Dutch giant Ajax had held the record for 44 years after a 26-game winning streak between 1971 and 1972. George Ramsay, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Lindsey leaves as the winningest football coach in program history; his 72.7 percent winning mark is the fourth-highest in the history of Division I FCS (formerly Division I-AA). Staff Reports, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Mar. 2023 Joe Montana Super Bowl winning jersey The jersey is arguably one of the winningest jerseys ever worn in football history, as Montana wore it for two Super Bowl victories, one of which he was named Super Bowl MVP. Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2023 After 12 workouts, here are three takeaways: A Sergent at QB The Toreros are coming off a 5-5 season, the first non-winning record since 2010. Don Norcoss, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2023 This docuseries depths into the past and present of America, the most winning and controversial soccer club in Mexico. Jacob Siegal, BGR, 28 Aug. 2022 Skinner is far more winning and sympathetic in his underdog role, while Lumley, despite her brash efforts, is not well-served by her underdeveloped part. Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2021 While disappearing in obscurity, Doren went on to become America's darling and Twenty-One's most winning contestant. Lynette Rice, EW.com, 31 May 2020 Catching a trophy fish in Alaska is memory making; neglecting to buy a derby ticket and then landing a potentially winning fish is heartbreaking. Josh Niva, Anchorage Daily News, 28 May 2020 Immediately identifiable by its sliding-latch action and separated barrels, the K-80 has proven an extremely durable performer and one of the most popular and winningest guns among high-end buyers. Phil Bourjaily, Field & Stream, 5 May 2020

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

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of winning was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near winning

Cite this Entry

“Winning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/winning. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

winning

1 of 2 noun
win·​ning
ˈwin-iŋ
1
: the act of one that wins : victory
2
: something won
especially : money won in a game or contest
usually used in plural

winning

2 of 2 adjective
1
a
: of, relating to, or used for or in the act of winning
the winning ticket
b
: successful especially in competition
a winning team
2
: tending to please or delight
a winning personality
winningly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on winning

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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